Major Power Outage Disrupts Daily Life Across Spain and Portugal

On Monday, a widespread power outage struck Spain and Portugal, impacting millions as services ground to a halt. Emergency protocols were activated, while authorities work to diagnose the cause of the blackout.

A massive power outage engulfed extensive regions of Spain and Portugal on Monday, leading to significant chaos and disruption. Millions faced darkness as they lost access to electricity, internet, and phone networks, with severe repercussions for transportation. Many train services were canceled or evacuated, traffic lights ceased functioning, and airports experienced considerable delays. As shops, homes, and restaurants were plunged into blackout, some people found themselves trapped in lifts.

Spain's electricity network predicted that power restoration could take several hours, although the complete count of affected areas remained unclear. Portugal’s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro confirmed that there was "no indication" of a cyberattack being the cause of the disruption. The outage commenced around midday (13:00 BST), and its effects quickly escalated, with residents warned to stay away from roads and to call emergency services only in life-threatening situations.

Authorities in both countries reported the situation as evolving, with a Spanish operator indicating that some areas might not have power restored for up to 10 hours, while Portugal's power company, REN, anticipated that the system may take up to a week to return to normalcy.

As the crisis unfolded, notable disturbances were reported in public transport in Madrid, prompting police to manage crowds and safety measures. Residents faced long lines at cash machines as card payments were disrupted, and several petrol stations closed. Hospitals implemented emergency plans, suspending routine procedures as they braced for the fallout.

The blackout led to an automatic shutdown of Spain's nuclear power plants and operations halted at oil refineries across the country. Airports experienced widespread delays and cancellations, with airlines like EasyJet advising customers to stay informed. While the outage impacted parts of Andorra and regions of France, the Balearic and Canary Islands were fortunately not affected.

By early evening, signs of recovery emerged with reports that power was gradually being restored in various areas of the Iberian Peninsula. Spain and Portugal continue to assess the total impact of this significant outage, with both governments emphasizing rapid response and recovery efforts, while working to uncover the cause behind this major power failure.