A massive power outage swept across Portugal, Spain, and Andorra around midday Monday, bringing travel, business, and daily life to a halt.
Authorities are still working to determine the exact cause of the blackout, which affected millions across the Iberian Peninsula.
According to Spanish newspaper El Pais, the disruption severely impacted transport systems, noting that “airports, trains, metros, and traffic lights were all affected.”
Spain’s national railway operator, Renfe, confirmed that “all trains have stopped running” as a result of the outage.
Businesses across the region also suffered, with reports from Anadolu Agency indicating that “at least some oil refineries have shut down.” Despite the widespread impact, hospitals continue to function normally, thanks to backup generators.
The blackout is one of the largest to hit the region in recent memory, with large portions of the affected countries plunged into darkness for over an hour.
Government Response and Ongoing Investigations
Authorities in Spain quickly moved to investigate the situation.
The Spanish government’s National Institute for Cybersecurity announced it was “studying whether a cyberattack could be responsible.”
Meanwhile, Spain’s national energy provider, Red Eléctrica, stated shortly after the outage that it was “working to re-establish connection.”
An emergency meeting was convened by the Spanish government at Red Eléctrica’s headquarters, with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and several ministers attending to coordinate a national response.
Madrid’s regional government also activated its emergency coordination center to manage the effects of the blackout.
Red Eléctrica provided an update at approximately 2 p.m. local time, announcing that “electricity was re-established in the Basque Country after one hour and 15 minutes of blackout.”
However, significant parts of Spain and Portugal continued to experience power shortages hours after the initial failure.
Communications across affected regions have been severely disrupted. Telephone services are described as “patchy” and mobile 5G networks are reportedly working “intermittently.”
Extent of the Blackout and Neighboring Areas
According to Spanish daily La Vanguardia, the Canary Islands and Balearic Islands remained unaffected by the blackout. The EGFE news agency reported that “power is being restored in the three Basque capitals,” giving hope that a full restoration might be underway.
Local French media also reported that border areas of France near Spain experienced limited disruptions, although French authorities have yet to issue a comprehensive statement on the impact.
As investigations continue, the blackout reveals vulnerability critical infrastructure face in an interlinked world. Questions are being asked of the preparedness of modern energy grids against cyber or systemic threats.
European energy experts note that while the cause remains undetermined, recent warnings from cybersecurity agencies across the continent have underlined the growing risk of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure.
The situation remains fluid, and governments are expected to release more information as emergency services work to stabilize essential services and identify the underlying problem.
Like 👍, Comment, share this article, and Follow us on our social media handles.
