QUITO - Power cuts in Ecuador will run nationwide for 12 hours per day, up from a planned eight, the government said on Monday, citing the country's urgent energy crisis caused by the worst drought in the Andean country's recent history.

Authorities last week said power cuts would take place across the country for up to eight hours per day but adverse weather conditions continue in areas where the country's dams are located, Energy Minister Antonio Goncalves told journalists.

"The important issue is that the climate is crazy, it has changed a lot," Goncalves said, adding that the dry season started two months early. "We depend a lot on hydrology. I can't predict something that only God knows."

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Earlier, speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, President Daniel Noboa said Ecuador was experiencing its worst drought in 61 years.

"It's chaos and much worse than expected," he said.

Electricity providers also updated timetables of planned cuts to go through Sunday; initially the cuts were planned to run through Thursday.