Hanoi, Vietnam News Agency - In April and early May this year, actual power generation has already been high, despite the hot weather that has just appeared in the north and centre. The Electricity of Vietnam Group (EVN) forecasts that the load on the national power system will continue to increase and exceed the schedule in the following June and July, when the north will enter the peak of the scorching heat. With the hydrological situation and the slow progress of new power station projects, northern Vietnam could be short of several gigawatts of electricity during the peak of this year's heat. According to the National Centre for Hydrometeorological Forecasting, the last months of 2023 will see an El Ni?o phenomenon with higher temperatures and lower than multi-year average rainfall, causing flows in the reservoirs to continue to tend to decrease. Not only is there a shortage of water for power generation, but coal and gas power plants are also facing difficulties with fuel supplies. Renewable energy sources such as wind power are expected to generate less electricity from May to July than in 2022. The Electricity Group of Vietnam notes that in the event of extreme conditions, such as a 15 per cent increase in northern power generation compared to the same period in 2022 during prolonged hot weather, unit failures or maintenance delays, and a deep drop in reservoir levels at large hydropower stations, the northern power system will not be able to meet peak loads in May and June.