On April 28, 2025, millions of residents across Spain and Portugal faced challenging interruptions to their daily routines as significant power outages swept through the Iberian Peninsula. The outages persisted for hours, leading to chaos across cities, disrupting hospitals, halting trains, and closing supermarkets. By Monday night, some areas in Spain saw power gradually restored, yet many remained plunged into darkness as authorities scrambled to diagnose and rectify the problem.
In Spain's bustling cities, the effects were palpable. In Córdoba, stranded passengers were forced to abandon high-speed trains, while in Pamplona, medical staff scrambled to relocate patients as hospitals relied solely on generators. The capital, Madrid, became a hub of confusion with public transport services like subways and trains rendered inoperative. Numerous residents lined up for buses, while traffic congestion escalated as the city’s stop lights went dark. Frustrated travelers could be seen at Atocha train station, luggage in tow, awaiting the restoration of services.
At the prestigious Madrid Open tennis tournament, matches were abruptly suspended, adding to the day’s mounting disruptions. In addition to sports events, traffic spilled onto streets as public workers attempted to manage the flow of vehicles and motorcycles at major intersections.
Over in Portugal, cities like Lisbon also experienced the fallout from the blackouts. Diners in restaurants had to finish meals by phone light, while the Cais do Sodré train station was left silent and dark. Grocery shopping transformed into a challenging adventure as shoppers utilized the light from their phones to navigate the aisles of darkened supermarkets.
This series of outages sheds light on the vulnerabilities of urban infrastructure and the importance of resilient systems to weather such crises in the future.
Sara Ruberg, an emerging voice in journalism, tracks breaking news developments during her tenure as a Times Fellow.
