A major power outage struck large areas of Spain and Portugal on Monday, leading to significant disruption and chaos. Millions were left without electricity, and essential services like internet and phone networks were severely affected.
The outage began around midday local time and quickly escalated. In Madrid, authorities advised residents to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel. Emergency services urged people to call only for urgent matters, as they were overwhelmed with requests.
Public transportation faced severe disruptions. Trains were canceled, and traffic lights stopped working, causing delays at airports. People were stuck in elevators, and shops, homes, and restaurants were plunged into darkness. Reports indicated that some hospitals implemented emergency protocols, halting routine operations.
Spain’s electricity network warned that restoring power could take several hours. By mid-afternoon, officials stated that power might take up to ten hours to restore in Spain, while Portugal’s power firm suggested it could take a week for full recovery.
As the day progressed, residents began to see power restored in some areas, particularly in the north, south, and west of the Iberian Peninsula. However, the situation remained fluid, with reports of long queues at cash machines as card payments were affected. Some petrol stations reported closures due to the outage.
The cause of the power cut is still under investigation, but officials have ruled out any indications of a cyberattack. The President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, confirmed that authorities were looking into the matter but had not found any evidence of malicious activity.
The outage also impacted various sectors. Nuclear power plants in Spain automatically shut down, and the oil company Moeve halted operations at its refineries. Flights faced cancellations and delays, with EasyJet reporting disruptions in Lisbon and Madrid. Business operations were severely affected, with some Ikea stores relying on backup generators and closing their doors to customers.
The Madrid Open Tennis event was canceled due to the power issues, adding to the list of disruptions caused by the outage. While Andorra and parts of France were also affected, the Balearic and Canary Islands remained untouched.
As the situation develops, both Spain and Portugal are working to understand what caused this widespread blackout and ensure that services are restored as quickly as possible.