A massive power outage swept across Spain and Portugal on Monday, causing major disruption to daily life across the Iberian Peninsula. Public transport networks, including metros and trains, ground to a halt, traffic lights failed, airports faced flight delays, and ATMs and mobile services were affected. Parts of southern France also experienced brief interruptions.
Metro services in Madrid, Lisbon and Porto were suspended, and traffic congestion worsened as signals went dark. Emergency services deployed backup generators to hospitals, courts halted work, and stranded commuters flooded city streets. In Valencia, passengers were stuck at train stations while in Madrid, hundreds evacuated office buildings amid confusion.
Meanwhile, parts of southern France were also hit by the blackout, leading to disruptions at airports, metro stations, and on the roads. Although electricity was restored within a few hours in most areas, the outage caused temporary delays in flights and train services. French authorities said they are working closely with their Spanish and Portuguese counterparts to investigate the cause of the disruption and ensure better coordination in restoring services across the affected regions.
Emergency cabinet meetings were held in both Spain and Portugal following the outage, which also briefly affected a part of neighbouring France.
A woman uses her cell phone’s flashlight in the dark after the matches get suspended due to a power outage. (Reuters)
When and how it happened
The blackout struck shortly after 12:30 p.m. local time, disrupting operations across major cities and rural areas alike. Airports, including Madrid-Barajas and Barcelona-El Prat, switched to emergency power systems as flights were delayed throughout the afternoon. Sporting events, including the Madrid Open tennis tournament, were suspended mid-play due to the sudden loss of power.
Portugal’s utility company REN confirmed a significant disruption in electricity supplies across the Iberian Peninsula, also impacting parts of France. Spanish grid operator Red Eléctrica said it was collaborating with regional energy companies to bring services back online.
“All plans for the phased restoration of energy supply are being activated, in coordination with European energy producers and operators,” a REN spokesperson told Reuters. They added that REN remained “in permanent contact with official entities, namely the National Civil Protection Authority” and that investigations into the cause were continuing.
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Play suspended at Madrid Open
The blackout forced play at the Madrid Open tennis tournament to be suspended. 15th seed Grigor Dimitrov and British player Jacob Fearnley were forced off the court as scoreboards went dark and overhead cameras lost power.
Spanish radio stations said part of Madrid’s underground network was evacuated. According to Cadena SER Radio, traffic lights failed, causing heavy traffic in the city centre.
A woman reads a book, at Joaquin Sorolla train station, after passengers were stranded during a power outage which hit large parts of Spain, in Valencia, Spain. (Reuters)
A Reuters witness reported that hundreds of people were standing outside office buildings in Madrid, with police heavily present around key locations, directing traffic and patrolling streets with flashing lights. One of the four major tower buildings in Madrid, which houses the British Embassy, had been evacuated, the witness added. Local media also reported that people were trapped in stalled metro trains and lifts.
Madrid Mayor urges people to stay off roads
In Portugal, police confirmed that traffic lights were down nationwide, metros were closed in Lisbon and Porto, and trains were not running. Lisbon’s metro operator, Metropolitano de Lisboa, said the subway system had stopped completely with passengers still inside trains, according to Publico newspaper.
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Lisbon Airport was operating on back-up generators, a source at Portugal’s TAP airline told Reuters. Meanwhile, AENA, which runs 46 airports across Spain, reported flight delays throughout the country.
France’s grid operator RTE said there had been a brief outage but power had since been restored. RTE confirmed that it was still investigating the cause.
Spain’s grid boss, Eduardo Prieto, says restoring power could take between 6 to 10 hours. Meanwhile Madrid’s Mayor urged residents to minimise travel, warning that traffic disruptions could pose safety risks until full power was restored.
