Madrid's subway system has been shut due to the power outage. Photo: El Confidencial / EFE / Mariscal
Large parts of Spain and Portugal have been affected by widespread electrical blackouts, leaving millions of residents without power.
The power supply was interrupted across Spain shortly after 12:30 p.m. local time (6:30 a.m. EST) for reasons that remain unknown, reported local television station Telemadrid. National grid operator Red Eléctrica announced that it has activated supply restoration plans in coordination with energy companies across the Iberian Peninsula.
Protocols had been activated to “restore electricity supply in collaboration with sector companies following the blackout that occurred in the peninsular system.” “The causes are being analyzed, and all resources are being dedicated to resolving it,” the operator added.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Deputy PM Sara Aagesen, as well as other members of the government, convened a crisis meeting at the Red Eléctrica headquarters to monitor the blackout, according to a report by radio network Cadena SER.
Reports on social media indicate that several major cities throughout the country — including Seville, Barcelona and Valencia — are experiencing outages. The only regions in Spain that have been spared from the blackouts are the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, and Ceuta and Melilla, according to the station.
Some reports suggest that blackouts are also affecting parts of France and Andorra.
Utility companies, including Endesa, have confirmed the outages, with hospitals, businesses, and some airports now operating on generator power. Emergency services have reported that traffic lights are out in parts of central Madrid. The Madrid metro has also evacuated residents from its facilities, according to El Confidencial. Bus stops in the city are packed with people forming “endless” lines, according to local residents.
Spain's national railway company, Renfe, announced that all train services have been disrupted. “At 12:30 p.m., the entire National Electricity Grid was cut off. Trains stopped and without departures at all stations,” read the company's post on X.
Play has been suspended at the Madrid Open tennis tournament, with thousands of fans left in the dark after the venue lost power, according to a report by Sky News. Organizerssaid on X they were working to “restore normality as soon as possible.”
“A crisis committee has been set up to manage the situation [in Spain],” an official briefed on the situation in Spain toldPolitico. “At this stage there’s no evidence yet regarding the cause of the massive blackout. A cyberattack has not been ruled out and investigations are ongoing.”
The Portuguese news outlet SICreported that it had received multiple messages from individuals across the country affected by the blackouts and added that hospitals, universities, and public transport systems in the country's capital Lisbon were left without power.
According to Expresso, Portugal’s grid operator E-Redes stated that the blackout was caused by a “problem in the European power grid.” Portuguese authorities later said that data collected after the outage indicated a voltage imbalance had triggered the collapse.
The exact cause of the blackout so far remains unknown.
