Sweltering Texans urged to reduce cooking and cleaning to ease grid strain

Officials advise to avoid using large appliances such as ovens and washing machines, amid soaring summer temperatures

As temperatures rise to unseasonably warm levels across Texas this week, its citizens are being asked to use less energy on basics like cooking and washing clothes to ease strain on the state's power grid that is struggling to generate enough electricity to cope with the high temperatures.

The move triggers memories for many Texans of the cold snap in the winter that incapacitated much of the state's power infrastructure and raises fears that Texas - and other US states - are not prepared to deal with the extreme weather events that come with the global climate crisis.