LUCKNOW, June 14 -- The state capital's power infrastructure faced unprecedented stress on Thursday night as electricity demand soared to a record 1983.62 mw, causing widespread power cuts and system failures across Lucknow. With UP's overall demand peaking at 31,415 mw, the strain on the grid was visible, especially at urban centres, grappling with the ongoing heatwave. The impact was immediate and widespread - over 30 substations across Lucknow reported frequent power rostering, leaving residents without electricity for long hours overnight. The situation was particularly dire in areas like Faizullaganj, Senani Vihar and Malak Road, where local faults compounded the crisis. Technical failures were reported at multiple points. At Ahibaranpur substation, a breakdown in the 11 KV substation cut supply to large pockets of the city. In Keshav Nagar, the 11 KV feeder went offline, leading to power cuts of more than 3 hours. In New Utraithia, residents of Senani Vihar, Gali No. 9 suffered from low voltage and complete outages after multiple instances of line tripping. "We haven't had power for last 5 hours and there's been no update from the power house," a resident said. Adding to the challenge, two transformers (400 kVA and 250 kVA) connected to the Malak Road feeder failed due to a fault in the underground 11 KV line. Restoration work was underway, with officials estimating a delay of at least 90 minutes. Officials said the power load is likely to remain high through the heatwave....