Residents across Jamaica are now without electricty.

They lost supply around 5.30 in what the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) has described as a "widespread unscheduled" power outage.

In sections of the Corporate Area, police personnel have been deployed to several intersections to monitor traffic.

Energy Minister Dr Andrew Wheatley says the outage has been caused by a procedural error at one of the power plants.

The JPS posted on Twitter that it is trying to restore power.

"Our team is currently working hard to have the issue resolved in the shortest possible time," the company posted.

- Livern Barrett