A massive power outage struck Spain and Portugal on Monday, plunging large parts of both countries into darkness and causing major disruptions to public transport, airports, and daily life. The outage, which also briefly affected parts of France, halted traffic, left hospitals without power, and stranded commuters in metros and elevators.
Spanish electricity transmission operator Red Eléctrica confirmed that the cause of the outage was still under investigation, with the possibility of a cyberattack not being ruled out. Utility companies in both countries scrambled to restore the electricity grid, with Red Eléctrica warning that power could take between six to ten hours to be fully restored.
The impact was severe, with traffic lights failing and traffic jams spreading across major cities, especially in Madrid, where hundreds of people were seen outside office buildings. In some areas, the heavy police presence was visible as officers worked to manage the chaos, including directing traffic and assisting with evacuations.
In Madrid, the power failure led to the suspension of play at the Madrid Open tennis tournament, leaving players like Grigor Dimitrov and Jacob Fearnley stranded on court as the scoreboards and overhead cameras lost power. Meanwhile, in Lisbon, airport operator ANA confirmed that emergency generators were keeping essential operations running at Lisbon, Porto, and Faro airports, though there were still delays.
The Spanish government responded quickly, setting up a crisis committee and sending Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to Red Eléctrica’s control center to oversee the response. The European Commission also coordinated with authorities in Spain and Portugal and the European Network of Transmission System Operators (ENTSO-E) to investigate the cause of the outage.
In addition to transport delays, public safety was also compromised, with high-rise buildings like the Torre Emperador in Madrid evacuated via stairs. People were left trying to contact loved ones as mobile signals were intermittent.
Authorities are continuing to work to restore power, with the Spanish and Portuguese governments dedicating resources to resolve the crisis as quickly as possible. The event has raised concerns over the vulnerability of critical infrastructure, particularly with increasing fears over cyberattacks targeting power grids.
This unprecedented outage has left many questioning the resilience of Europe’s power systems, with comparisons being drawn to the 2003 blackout that affected Italy and Switzerland. As the investigation continues, the public remains on edge, hoping for swift resolution and answers.
