Blackout Cripples Spain and Portugal
A huge power outage swept across Spain and Portugal on Monday, causing chaos on roads, shutting down public transport, and delaying flights. Traffic lights went dark, metros stopped mid-journey, and travelers faced major delays at airports, while utility operators scrambled to bring the grid back online. Spanish and Portuguese officials launched emergency meetings, but at least an hour after the blackout, no clear cause had been confirmed, with a cyberattack still not ruled out.
Spain’s Red Electrica reported that electricity demand plunged by more than a third just after noon. "All plans for the phased restoration of energy supply are being activated, in coordination with European energy producers and operators," said a REN spokesperson in Portugal. Meanwhile, Madrid’s mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida urged residents to “absolutely minimize movement” as emergency services worked through the gridlock. Crowds filled city streets as companies sent workers home, and a heavy police presence managed traffic manually.
The outage also disrupted Lisbon’s metro, closed off parts of Madrid’s underground, and caused chaos at airports where shops stopped accepting cards and backup generators kicked in. While some power was restored by the afternoon in parts of Spain and Portugal, investigations into what caused one of Europe’s worst blackouts in years are still ongoing.
