Massive Power Outage Plunges Spain and Portugal into Blackouts-The Guardian
A major power outage struck Spain and Portugal late Monday morning, cutting electricity to millions across both countries, including their capitals, and even affecting parts of southwest France, according to grid operators.
The blackout disrupted daily life on a large scale—halting train and metro services, disabling phone lines, shutting down traffic lights, and rendering ATMs and electronic payment systems unusable. Additionally, the cause of the outage and the total number of people affected remain unclear.
In response, the Spanish government convened an emergency meeting at the headquarters of the national electricity operator, Red Eléctrica. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and key ministers for finance, environment, and transport attended the session to address what the government described as “the worst power outage in the country’s recent history.” A government statement said authorities are “working to determine the origin and impact of this incident and are dedicating all resources to resolve it as quickly as possible.”
In Portugal
In Portugal, the blackout affected the capital, Lisbon, as well as regions in the north and south. Government officials suggested the problem may have originated in Spain. “It looks like it was a problem with the distribution network, apparently in Spain,” cabinet minister António Leitão Amaro told the national news agency Lusa.
The outage caused significant disruptions in both capitals. In Lisbon, metro carriages were evacuated, and payment systems froze. In Madrid and other Spanish cities, traffic lights failed, leading to major congestion and forcing drivers to navigate intersections with extreme caution. The national road authority, DGT, urged citizens to avoid using the roads altogether.
El País
Moreover, Spanish newspaper El País published photos and videos of stranded metro passengers navigating dark tunnels and police manually directing traffic in Madrid. Some of the newspaper’s own journalists were shown working by torchlight.
Spain’s health ministry said it was coordinating with regional authorities to assess the extent of the blackout, while assuring the public that hospitals were operating on backup systems.
Data from the Spanish electricity network showed a dramatic drop in national power demand around 12:15 p.m., plunging from 27,500 megawatts to just under 15,000 megawatts.
Finally, the European Commission confirmed it is in contact with authorities in both countries to investigate the cause of the outage.
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