Lucknow, May 24 -- Uttar Pradesh's power demand is witnessing an unusual trend this summer, with the state's electricity consumption pattern showing signs of a shift amid the ongoing heatwave. Departing from the long-standing trend of peak demand being recorded during late evening hours, the state has over the past three-four days seen its highest electricity demand occurring around noon or in the afternoon. Traditionally, Uttar Pradesh used to record peak demand between around 9pm and 11pm, largely driven by a surge in residential consumption as households switched on lights, fans, televisions and air-conditioners after sunset. This year, however, intense daytime heat appears to be altering consumer behaviour. On Friday, the state's peak demand crossed 30,415 megawatt (mw) at 2.57pm, the highest level recorded so far this season. Officials said demand had been rising steadily with every passing day due to persistent high temperatures. Another notable trend emerging alongside the shifting peak pattern is the narrowing gap between maximum and minimum demand levels, indicating that electricity consumption is remaining elevated almost round the clock. On Friday, even the minimum power demand recorded at 5.36 in the morning was as high as 24,400 mw. According to former UPPCL official VP Trivedi, this means the difference between the highest and lowest demand levels has shrunk considerably, suggesting that the load curve is flattening and electricity consumption is staying high for longer periods rather than witnessing sharp spikes only during evening hours. Such a trend, he said, indicated a rise in the state's "base load", meaning electricity demand during traditionally low-consumption periods is also increasing. Officials attributed the changing pattern largely to the prolonged heat conditions and increasing dependence on cooling appliances. "The peak is coming at noon because people earlier avoided using air-conditioners extensively during daytime and largely used them during the night. But now the heat is so intense that people accustomed to air-conditioner comfort cannot manage without them during the day as well," an official said. Trivedi said the role of air-conditioners in household consumption had changed substantially over the years. "Air-conditioners have increasingly become a necessity rather than a luxury for many consumers. Simultaneously, the number of electricity consumers has expanded over the years. Together, these factors are contributing significantly to rising demand," Trivedi said. Experts also pointed towards the role of solar generation in shaping demand patterns. During daytime hours, around 2,000 mw of electricity demand is being met through grid-connected solar generation. In addition, nearly 3,000 mw from rooftop solar systems is estimated to be serving consumers directly and does not fully reflect in the grid demand figures. As a result, actual electricity consumption during afternoon hours may be even higher than what grid demand data indicates. Power officials said there is currently not a big demand-supply mismatch and the state's generation. However, the rapidly rising demand is placing considerable pressure on the distribution network. "The issue currently is not power availability as such but carrying the load through the distribution system," another official said. According to officials, overloaded feeders, transformers and local network infrastructure are increasingly causing outages in various areas even though sufficient power is available at the system level....