In brief
Spain's national power supplier announced that electricity has been reinstated for 99% of its peninsular regions following an extensive blackout that disrupted vital services. While full restoration is underway in Portugal, the cause of the outage is still being investigated.
Nearly 18 hours after a significant power outage affected Spain and parts of Portugal, power supply has been largely restored, bringing relief to millions. The incident, which disrupted airports, train services, traffic lights, and other essential infrastructure, saw Spain's national electricity company, Red Eléctrica, report that as of early Tuesday morning, nearly all power demand in Peninsular Spain was being met. By 6 a.m. local time, all substations on the Spanish electrical grid were operational, ending a challenging night for residents and travelers, particularly at locations like Madrid's Atocha train station.The blackout also extended to neighboring Portugal, with REN, the country's electricity and gas supplier, confirming late Monday that 85 of its 89 substations and switching stations were back online. Nevertheless, some areas in Portugal continued to experience power outages.While the incident stranded tens of millions across the Iberian Peninsula, authorities have yet to determine the exact cause of the blackout. Officials noted that there were no indications of foul play or potential cyberattacks contributing to the disruption. As investigations continue, both countries work towards finalizing the restoration of services and ensuring improved resilience against future outages.
