TOKYO -- Residents in the greater Tokyo metropolitan area can expect rolling blackouts throughout the region starting Sunday, according to a Japanese newspaper report.

Tokyo Electric might start cutting power to some home in the Kanto Plain area late Saturday, the Asahi Shimbun is reporting. Even hospitals in the area could lose power at times, the paper reported.

Then, starting Sunday, homes could be without power for up to three hours at a time as rolling blackouts go into effect, the report said.

The blackouts are necessary because of the closure of the nuclear power plants as a result of Friday's earthquake in northern Japan, the report said. The electric company said it simply will not be able to keep up with the demand for power, and is asking residents to turn off all necessary lights.that electricity will be cut to homes in the Kanto plain Homes in Kanto area could go out of power for about three hours starting Sunday, Asahi Shimbun reported. Due to closure of nuclear power plants, which supply electricity to Kanto area, Tokyo Electricity has forecasted that the electricity supply will not be able to keep up with the demand sometime in the late Saturday afternoon, the newspaper reported. The supply shortage will continue after Sunday, and the company expects homes will be out of power for about three hours. The hospitals could also go out of power, Asahi reported. The company is asking people to turn off unnecessary powers off.