Updated 12.55pm
Widespread power cuts again plagued Malta on Monday afternoon, with residents and business owners reporting no electricity in many localities.
People in Attard, Balzan, Birkirkara, Marsascala, Mosta, Ħamrun, Naxxar, Rabat, Sliema, St Paul’s Bay, St Julian’s, Swieqi, Tarxien, Qormi, Valletta and Żejtun all said they lost power shortly before noon.
Residents in Birkirkara, Swatar, St Paul's Bay and Tarxien said power was restored a few minutes after the initial blackout.
Enemalta issued a brief statement on Facebook in which it acknowledged problems Birkirkara, Qawra, Qormi, Fgura, Żejtun, Cospicua, Marsascala, part of Gozo and "other localities".
"At present, the electricity service is back to normal in most of these localities. Our technical personnel are working hard to restore the service to the few remaining customs," the company said at 12.50pm.
In a second statement on social media, the company said power was restored to all localities by 12.45pm.
It did not provide an explanation for Monday's power cut.
Have you been affected by this power cut? Let us know how your daily life has been impacted by emailing newsroom@timesofmalta.com
The company had acknowledged a loss of electricity in several localities on Sunday evening and has had to contend with two nationwide power cuts in the past five weeks.
Readers have been getting in touch to explain how they are being affected.
A restaurant owner in Swieqi said the constant cuts were "crippling" for his business.
"Our expenses are already high," he told Times of Malta.
"With the loss of income from not being able to serve lunch or dinner it’s putting us in a very tough situation. Wages still need to be paid. Wasn’t the new power station supposed to prevent this from happening?"
Mario Cacciottolo said he was using a Bank Of Valletta ATM machine in Msida just as the power cut, swallowing his card. "I then went to post a parcel in the Post Office in Pieta and was told I couldn't because it is without power."
A St Paul's Bay resident told Times of Malta that it was the fourth power cut they had experienced just this month, although the most recent two had been over in minutes.
Another local living in Tarxien said power was restored on Monday after around 15 minutes. That was marginally better than the situation on Sunday, when it took around 30 minutes for power to be restored.