Else Beekman
On Monday afternoon, a significant part of the Iberian Peninsula was hit by an unprecedented power outage. From around 12:30 pm, electricity failed across almost all of Spain and Portugal. Only the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, and the cities of Ceuta and Melilla were spared. Full restoration is expected to take between six and ten hours.
The sudden power outage brought trains, metro services, and other public transport systems to a standstill. Railway operator Adif confirmed to RTVE that all rail services are currently suspended. Numerous traffic lights also stopped working, leading to severe congestion in cities nationwide.
According to airport operator Aena, airports remained operational thanks to emergency generators, although delays were reported. Hospitals managed to maintain essential medical services using backup power systems, while non-urgent procedures were postponed.
Gradual progress in restoring power
Red Eléctrica Española (REE) reported gradual improvements in parts of northern and southern Spain during the afternoon. By around 6 PM, areas including Catalonia, Galicia, and Andalucia had partially regained power. However, many homes in the Madrid region and along the eastern coast remained without electricity.
Portugal was also significantly affected. The Portuguese grid operator REN suggested that extreme temperature fluctuations within Spain could have destabilised the high-voltage network. REN warned that full restoration across Portugal might take up to a week.
Communication and service disruptions
The power cut severely affected mobile networks and internet services. Vodafone managed to keep about 70% of its network operational through emergency power sources, while Telefónica activated a crisis committee.
Public buildings, shops, and museums were evacuated as a precaution, and many people became trapped in lifts. Thanks to emergency power supplies, major department stores were able to remain partially open.
Government response and call for calm
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez took direct control of the crisis response. In an emergency meeting of the National Security Council, he stressed that the cause of the outage remains unknown and urged the public not to engage in speculation. The government has since coordinated emergency support in Madrid, Andalusia, and Extremadura.
Sánchez advised residents to limit travel and use mobile phones sparingly to avoid overloading networks. He also confirmed that close communication is being maintained with King Felipe VI and international partners, including NATO.
Impact of power outage on neighbouring countries
Andorra experienced a brief power outage, but thanks to a quick switch to a French connection, the situation was stabilised swiftly. Parts of France also reported short-lived disruptions, though their power grids have since been fully restored.
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