Power Mostly Restored as Spain and Portugal Deal with Aftermath of Major Outage
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Massive Blackout Hits Spain and Portugal as Investigation Begins
Power has been restored to the vast majority of Spain and Portugal after a widespread blackout plunged the Iberian Peninsula into chaos, but disruptions to transportation services are expected to continue into a second day.
The outage, which also affected parts of southern France, struck Monday and left tens of millions without electricity. It brought daily life to a standstill—disabling traffic lights, halting elevators and subways, and grounding flights. Both Spain and Portugal remain under states of emergency as authorities investigate the cause.
Experts say it could take weeks to determine what triggered the failure. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the grid operator reported a sudden loss of 15 gigawatts of electricity in just five seconds—roughly 60% of Spain's total demand at the time.
By Tuesday morning, Spain's grid operator said power had been restored to 99% of the country. However, transport disruptions persist, particularly affecting the high-speed rail network. Portugal had also largely restored power by late Monday, with social media videos showing crowds cheering as lights returned.
Portugal's Prime Minister Luís Montenegro blamed Spain, saying the problem “did not originate in Portugal.” The countries are closely linked electrically, and Portugal relies on Spanish imports during early hours due to time zone and cost advantages. Without alternative suppliers, Portugal was left more vulnerable.
The blackout's immediate effects were dramatic. Cities like Madrid, Lisbon, and Barcelona—key transport and economic hubs—were thrown into disarray. Streets became hazardous without traffic signals, and public transport systems shut down. Madrid’s firefighters responded to over 170 elevator rescues. Police directed traffic by hand as supermarkets and restaurants closed.
In Madrid, Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida urged people to limit movement and only call emergency services in dire situations. Regional leaders later called for military assistance.
Despite fears of a cyberattack, officials say there’s no evidence of one. Nuclear facilities in Spain remained safe, and hospitals switched to backup power systems. Portugal’s emergency services activated contingency plans to keep operations running.
Flights were delayed or canceled across major airports, including in Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon. Airlines advised travelers to avoid airports, and TAP Air Portugal suspended service. Passengers described being stranded in dark terminals without air conditioning or running water. Trains across Spain were suspended, and metro systems were shut down, leaving passengers stuck underground.
The blackout also disrupted sporting events, including suspending play at the Madrid Open tennis tournament. In France, the impact was minimal, with only brief outages reported near the Spanish border.
As power returns, questions remain about the long-term fallout. Spain’s transport minister warned that some rail services may not resume until at least Tuesday, and flight disruptions could linger for days.
Governments across the region are now working to assess the damage and prevent future failures. For millions, the incident exposed the vulnerability of even the most advanced infrastructure.
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