A significant power outage blanketed Spain on Monday, crippling essential services including trains, airports, and traffic management systems, and resulting in widespread chaos across the nation. The blackout extended into Portugal and parts of France, leaving millions without electricity and impacting critical infrastructure.
The energy disruption stemmed from a failure in the European grid, though the precise cause remained mainly undetermined. As cities across the Iberian Peninsula plunged into darkness, the ramifications were immediately felt. Spanish hospitals relied on generators to continue operations, and schools as well as banks in Portugal closed their doors. Notably, the Madrid Open tennis matches were halted as officials scrambled to assess the situation.
E-Redes, Portugal’s national energy supplier, acknowledged that the outage affected numerous regions spanning southern and eastern Spain, including areas like Catalonia, Andalusia, Aragon, Navarre, the Basque Country, Castile and León, Extremadura, and Murcia. In France, the Basque Coast and Burgundy regions also experienced power cuts.
Spain's national power entity, Red Eléctrica, announced on social media that power restoration efforts were underway in various areas. António Leitão Amaro, Portugal’s state minister, clarified that no evidence indicated a cyberattack was to blame. The national rail operator, Renfe, confirmed that at precisely 12:30 p.m., the entire National Electricity Grid went offline, leading to the cessation of train services across all stations.
As power failed, urban life came to a standstill. Restaurants in cities like Murcia halted their service, and places of worship were forced to close as long queues formed outside ATMs.
Airline EasyJet conveyed to passengers that Spanish airports were grappling with ongoing power outages that were disrupting vital systems and infrastructure, predicting delays as a result. However, amidst the turmoil, some activities persevered. With bright sunlight streaming through the windows, indoor flamenco classes in Murcia continued uninterrupted.
As citizens adjusted to the blackout, the situation remained fluid, with updates expected as recovery efforts progressed.
