Candles, torches and generators are selling out fast as Brazilians wake up to the fact that their lives are about to be seriously disrupted by power cuts which will last the month. In a report issued on Thursday a leading Sao Paulo research centre forecast serious economic consequences with almost a million job losses and a fall in tax revenue, export earnings and investment. But amidst fears that crime would shoot up in Brazil's blacked out cities, the minister of justice reassured the public that the cuts will take place during daylight.

disrupted - if something is disrupted it means that it is not working smoothly and as it should

forecast - predict

tax revenue - money the government gets from taxes

export earnings - money received from selling goods to other countries

amidst fears that -

shoot up - rise very quickly

blacked out - a city where the electricity supply has failed is described as being blacked out

The energy crisis has been sparked off by this year's exceptionally low rainfall. Most of Brazil's energy comes from the country's network of hydro-electric dams but energy experts also blame the government's privatisation of the large state power companies which has led to a fall in investment in electricity generation. The delay in deciding prices for the import of natural gas from neighbouring Bolivia is also blamed. Although business leaders have been warning about the crisis for months, a former energy minister said it seems the government's economic ministry has only now realised just how serious the crisis is.

crisis - emergency

sparked off - caused to start

hydro-electric dams - a place where electricity is made through the action of water

privatisation - the selling of public industries to private companies

a fall in - a decrease

former - previous