MADRID — Power is gradually returning across Spain and Portugal after a massive blackout on Monday brought cities including Madrid and Lisbon to a standstill, disrupting transportation, communications, and daily life for millions across the Iberian Peninsula.
The widespread outage struck shortly after 12:30 p.m. local time, halting train services, grounding flights, disabling internet and mobile networks, blacking out traffic lights, and suspending some hospital operations. Spain’s interior ministry declared a national emergency, and both governments convened emergency cabinet meetings to address the crisis and investigate the cause.
By Monday evening, approximately half of Spain’s electricity supply had been restored, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced during a televised address, adding that full restoration was expected by Tuesday. In Portugal, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro assured citizens that power would return across the country within hours.
Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the outage. Sánchez urged the public to avoid speculation and to reserve calls to emergency services for urgent matters only.
“This event is exceptional and extraordinary,” said Eduardo Prieto, head of operations for Spain’s national grid operator Red Eléctrica, during a news conference.
Portuguese grid operator REN indicated that the blackout likely stemmed from a fault within Spain’s electricity network, triggered by a “rare atmospheric phenomenon.” REN attributed the disruption to extreme temperature fluctuations that caused “anomalous oscillations” in very high-voltage lines, warning that complete network normalization could take up to a week.
Meanwhile, French grid operator RTE reported that parts of France also experienced brief power losses connected to the outages in Spain and Portugal.
The effects of the blackout rippled across major urban centers. In Madrid, portions of the subway system were evacuated, and non-functioning traffic lights created widespread congestion. Local media reported that hospitals in Madrid and Catalonia had to suspend routine medical procedures, although critical care continued with the aid of backup generators.
The Madrid Open tennis tournament was also forced to suspend play when the outage knocked out power to scoreboards and the overhead camera system. Britain’s Jacob Fearnley was taken off court mid-match during a crucial third-round tie against Grigor Dimitrov. Tournament organizers later announced that all Monday afternoon and evening sessions would be canceled.
Aena, which operates Spain’s international airports, confirmed disruptions at multiple airports. While contingency generators kept critical systems running, the company urged travelers to check with their airlines for potential delays or cancellations.
Madrid Metro passenger Maddie Sephton, visiting from West London, recounted being trapped in a dark train for 20 minutes before staff manually opened the doors. With elevators inoperative, Sephton and others had to climb 15 flights of stairs with their luggage to reach street level.
“Everyone is just standing around, waiting,” she told Sky News. “Bars can’t take card payments, ATMs are down, and traffic lights aren’t working. I have no internet service and only €15 in cash.”
Sephton added that a couple had offered to share a taxi to the airport. “They’re relaxed because their flight is later, but my flight to London was scheduled for 3 p.m., and I’m getting nervous,” she said.
In Barcelona, thousands of metro passengers were evacuated as the blackout halted services citywide. The city’s tram network and numerous traffic lights were also disabled.
The urban rail network Metrovalencia reported major service disruptions in Valencia due to the outage, while parts of Lisbon and areas across northern and southern Portugal were similarly impacted. Portuguese officials confirmed that the source of the disruption appeared to lie outside the country, likely within Spain’s grid infrastructure.
Cabinet Minister Leitão Amaro told national news agency Lusa that while investigations were ongoing, preliminary information suggested the blackout stemmed from “a problem with the distribution network, apparently in Spain.”
As emergency crews and technicians worked through the night, government leaders in both countries reassured citizens that full recovery of the electricity network was underway. Still, the unprecedented scope of the blackout served as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of modern urban life to sudden infrastructure failures.
