• In response to the outage, both the Spanish and Portuguese governments held emergency cabinet meetings, and the blackout briefly impacted parts of France near the northeastern Spanish border.
Spain and Portugal experienced a massive power blackout on Monday, disrupting public transport, causing traffic congestion, and delaying flights, while utility operators worked to restore the grid, reported Reuters.
Authorities were unable to determine the cause of the outage for over an hour, although a potential cyber– attack has not been ruled out, with investigations still ongoing. A crisis committee was formed in Spain to handle the situation.
In response to the outage, both the Spanish and Portuguese governments held emergency cabinet meetings, and the blackout briefly impacted parts of France near the northeastern Spanish border.
Portugal’s utility REN confirmed a widespread electricity outage across the Iberian Peninsula on Monday, which also impacted parts of France. Spanish grid operator Red Eléctrica reported it was working alongside regional energy companies to restore power. REN stated that energy restoration plans were activated in coordination with European energy producers and operators, while continuously liaising with the National Civil Protection Authority to assess potential causes of the incident.
The blackout caused significant disruption, particularly in Madrid, where traffic lights failed, leading to traffic jams in the city center. Hundreds of people gathered outside office buildings, and there was a notable police presence managing traffic and guiding people through darkened areas. A Reuters witness reported the evacuation of one tower housing the British Embassy. Additionally, people were trapped in stalled metro cars and elevators.
In Portugal, the blackout affected traffic lights nationwide, with the metro systems in Lisbon and Porto shut down, and trains were not running. The Lisbon subway was at a standstill, with passengers still trapped inside trains, according to Publico.
Lisbon’s airport relied on backup generators, while flight delays were reported across Spain’s airports, managed by AENA. In France, the outage briefly affected the grid, but power was quickly restored, and investigations into the cause are underway.
