Unprecedented blackouts caused much of Spain and Portugal to halt on Monday, shutting down trains, cutting phone services and closing signals and ATMs for millions of people across the Iberian Peninsula.
The peninsula is home to over 50 million people in both Spain and Portugal. It is not clear exactly how many people were affected as authorities refused to share certain information.
The blackouts have affected many densely populated urban areas. In Spain, major centres such as Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Avila, Murcia, Galicia, Alicante and Zaragoza were affected. In Portugal, two biggest cities, Lisbon and Porto, faced similar challenges.
The reason behind the blackout remains unknown, but some officials have ruled out sabotage. “At this point, there are no indications of a cyberattack,” wrote Antonio Costa, chairman of the Council of Europe, in a post on X.
Spanish electricity distributor Red Ereclica refused to speculate on the cause of the blackout that began around 12:30pm in Madrid, saying it would take between 6 and 10 hours for electricity to recover.
Eduardo Prieto’s operations director told journalists that it was unprecedented and calling the event “exceptional and extraordinary.”
In a late-night speech shared on social media platforms, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced that the power per cent of national supply has recovered, reassuring that all state resources are being mobilized to tackle the crisis and resolve the issue.
“We work perfectly all night. With professionalism and commitment. Spain always does so in these situations,” writes Sanchez.
Meanwhile, Portugal’s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said state officials are still tirelessly trying to restore connectivity to affected areas.
“We are constantly in contact with security forces, civil protection, military, hospitals and fuel suppliers to ensure our ability and support for those in need,” Montenegro said in a post in X.
Parts of southern France were also temporarily affected, but authorities say services quickly recovered after a timely intervention.
Sanchez said that “strong vibrations” in the European grid were behind the stop, but the cause was still determined. He asked the public to refrain from speculation and urged people to call emergency services only if they really needed it.
Less than six weeks after the March 20 fire closed Heathrow Airport in the UK was the second severe European power outage.
The stoppage began after noon. Offices were closed and traffic was unavailable in major cities. In Barcelona, civilians turned traffic. Train services in both countries have been suspended, with tens of thousands of passengers stuck.
Even if Spanish Minister of Transport Oscar Puente posts on social media or electricity returns, the trains will not be able to resume later Monday.
In Madrid, hundreds of people were attempting to hitchhike at bus stops that took tourists to the airport. Some held signs of improvisation to convince the driver to take them.
Hospitals and other emergency services have been switched to generators. Among those affected were home patients who rely on oxygen machines. The gas station is no longer functional.
Some people were able to connect to certain messaging apps with intermittent data connections, but most mobile networks were unable to make calls or text messages. People continued to search stores for battery-powered radios and provide information.
A graph from the Spanish Electric Network website showing demand nationwide shows a sharp drop at about 12:30pm, close to 27,500 megawatts to 15,000 megawatts.
According to Aena, which operates 56 airports in Spain, including Madrid and Barcelona, Spain’s airports operate with backup electrical systems, with some flights being delayed.
In Lisbon, the terminal was closed and tourists sat outside waiting for news about the flight.
The Spanish Parliament in Madrid has been closed. Playing at the Madrid Open Tennis Tournament has been suspended. Some took advantage of the lack of connectivity to enjoy the sunshine on the restaurant’s terraces, parks and beaches. The streets of Barcelona are filled with crowds of people dined and exchanging information in front of darkened restaurants.
Sanchez convened an extraordinary meeting of the National Security Council. Four Spain regions declared a state of emergency and called on the central government of Madrid to take over management of the crisis.
The Portuguese Cabinet held an emergency meeting in the prime minister’s residence. Montenegro said he spoke to Sanchez several times and hoped that power would regain by the end of the day.
Lisbon said the suspension appears to be due to international issues.
Sanchez said he was grateful to their government that electricity had been drawn from Morocco and France to restore electricity to the southern and northern Spain.
Spain was also increasing production from hydroelectric and cycling thermal power plants.
