**Widespread Power Outage Cripples Spain and Portugal, Millions Affected**
Spain and Portugal began slowly recovering from a massive power outage that unexpectedly plunged the Iberian Peninsula into chaos on Monday, with Spanish officials reporting on Tuesday morning that over 92% of the nation’s grid had been restored. Still, the widespread disruption left millions scrambling and forced authorities to issue urgent public advisories for residents to remain at home until normalcy returned.
Red Eléctrica, Spain’s national grid operator, confirmed that by 5am, power had largely been reinstated across most regions after what was described by their operations chief, Eduardo Prieto, as an “exceptional and extraordinary” event. The blackout, lasting up to 10 hours in some areas, left swathes of Spain and Portugal without electricity, halting train services, cutting access to cash machines, and suspending internet and mobile networks for millions.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez vowed a swift return to full power, promising that the entire country of nearly 48 million would see lights restored before day’s end. Yet the unprecedented scale of the outage, and its mysterious origin, prompted immediate comparisons to the recent March power disruption that closed Heathrow Airport in the UK—marking the second major European blackout in under six weeks.
Speaking in Brussels, Teresa Ribera, the European Commission’s executive vice president for clean energy, called this “one of the most serious episodes recorded in Europe in recent times.” Meanwhile, Portuguese cybersecurity officials released a statement saying that, so far, there was no evidence to attribute the event to a cyber-attack, a concern heightened by ongoing fears of potential Russian-backed sabotage across European infrastructure.
The cause behind the outage remains unclear. Sánchez disclosed that the problem originated from a “strong oscillation” in the continental electricity grid, which triggered a catastrophic drop in supply. “At 12.22pm, Spain’s grid lost 15 gigawatts—60% of national demand—in just five seconds. We have never had a complete collapse of the system of this magnitude,” he said, urging the public not to indulge in speculation until the source was definitively identified.
To restore power, Spain coordinated with its neighbours, drawing emergency supplies from French and Moroccan grids. As the blackout unfolded, scenes of confusion and frustration played out in cities across both countries. In Barcelona, traffic volunteers filled in at nonfunctional traffic lights, while residents scoured shops for battery-powered radios and lined up outside generator suppliers. Gridlocks suffocated Madrid and Lisbon, as offices and government buildings shut down, including Spain’s Parliament and its national broadcaster’s newsroom.
Public transport was severely impacted. Subway and railway networks halted, leaving thousands stranded or forced to evacuate darkened underground stations. In Lisbon’s airport, travellers waited in uncertainty, as airport terminals relied on emergency power and flights delayed due to technological failures. Tennis matches at the Madrid Open were suspended when the power vanished mid-play.
Petrol stations closed, unable to pump fuel, while hospitals and emergency services reverted to generator power to keep essential systems running. In Portugal, police were deployed in higher numbers to manage disrupted traffic and respond to a surge in calls, including reports of people trapped in lifts.
As Tuesday progressed, life began to crawl back to normal, but the impacts of such a sudden and far-reaching outage underscored the vulnerability of modern societies to grid instability. Many Spaniards and Portuguese took to the streets or enjoyed impromptu gatherings on restaurant terraces, making the most of a day without digital connectivity, while others expressed concern about future resilience.
The full extent of those affected remains uncertain, though the Peninsula’s population exceeds 50 million. Analysts noted that such cross-border, simultaneous outages are exceedingly rare in Europe. Authorities in both countries held emergency meetings and assured citizens that ongoing investigations would encompass all possible causes.
As the lights gradually came back on, government officials called for calm and patience, recognising both the complex interdependence of European power infrastructure and the need for reinforced safeguards in the face of rising threats to the continent’s energy security.