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Hundreds of thousands woke up to no electricity in Quebec Tuesday

Power outages in Quebec on January 13 were apparently caused by a defect in one of Hydro-Quebec’s substations.
Power outages in Quebec on January 13 were apparently caused by a defect in one of Hydro-Quebec’s substations. Colin Perkel/The Canadian Press

MONTREAL — Hundreds of thousands woke up to no electricity Tuesday morning in Quebec.

READ MORE: Hydro-Quebec works to restore power to thousands of customers

Hydro-Quebec said it was investigating the possible cause of power outages in Quebec that, as of 8 a.m. Tuesday morning, have left 277,822 clients without power in the province and 103,477 without power in Montreal, Laval, the South Shore and the Laurentians.

Hundreds of thousands were waking up to no electricity in Quebec on Tuesday, January 13, 2015. Hydro-Quebec

Serge Abergel, a spokesperson for Hydro-Quebec, confirmed at 8:30 a.m. that electricity outages should be back within the hour.

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He said the outages were caused by a defect in one of Hydro-Quebec’s substations and the issue was being resolved, with power slowly being restored.

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By 9:15 a.m., power had been restored to most of the power utility’s clients.

With temperatures dipping to -22°C and a high expected of -17°C, it was not a day to be without power.

Watch: Jessica Laventure has Tuesday’s weather forecast for Montreal

Power outages were having an effect on commuters, as traffic lights in some areas are not working.

In December, after massive service interruptions left nearly 200,000 without power, Hydro-Quebec was asking customers to limit their electricity use.

READ MOREQuebecers asked to reduce power consumption after nearly 200,000 left without electricity

Click here for Hydro-Quebec’s helpful map that allows you to check whether the power is out in your area.

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