- A massive blackout hit Spain and Portugal, disrupting transport, power, and communications for over 12 hours.
- Officials restored electricity to millions; an investigation is ongoing, and no cyberattack link was found.
- Spain’s grid lost 15 GW in five seconds; Portugal’s reliance on Spanish power contributed to the impact.
Crews are restoring electricity to parts of Spain and Portugal after a massive blackout left millions without power for over 12 hours.
The outage disrupted traffic, grounded flights, and halted trains. Government officials in both countries declared states of emergency to manage the chaos.
Officials have not identified the cause. European Council President Antonio Costa said investigators found no signs of a cyberattack. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez confirmed that authorities continue to probe the situation without drawing firm conclusions.
When and Where It Started
The blackout began at 12:30 p.m. in Madrid and 11:30 a.m. in Lisbon (6:30 a.m. ET). The outage swept across major cities and towns. Parts of southern France briefly lost power but recovered quickly.
Restoration Updates
In Spain, engineers have restored nearly 50% of the country’s electricity supply. Sánchez said the grid lost 15 gigawatts of power in five seconds, triggering the system’s collapse.
The National Energy Network (REN) reported that crews reconnected 2.5 million customers in Portugal. Technicians brought 85 of the country’s 89 substations back online.
City-by-City Impact
In Valencia, residents cheered when power returned. The blackout hit during a religious parade. Many people continued the procession, unaware of the outage until phones stopped working.
In Porto, the blackout emptied the streets. American tourist Kate Su said shops shut down, restrooms closed, and phone signals dropped. “The city went quiet fast,” she told CNN.
Transport Disruptions
The blackout forced authorities to shut down metro systems, suspend rail lines, and delay flights. Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente said the country won’t resume medium- and long-distance train services before Tuesday. Officials also reduced incoming air traffic by 20%. Despite the cuts, airports continued operating with limited disruptions.
Key Facilities: Stay Safe
Spain’s nuclear plants followed emergency protocols and shut down safely. The Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) said diesel generators were activated to maintain reactor safety. The health ministry confirmed that hospitals switched to backup systems to continue patient care.
Why Portugal Was Affected
Portugal’s Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said the issue started in Spain. João Faria Conceição from REN explained that Portugal imports electricity from Spain in the morning. Spain’s solar plants generate cheaper power earlier because of the one-hour time difference.
What Happens Next
Authorities continue to investigate the outage. Engineers have focused on restoring full service. Leaders urged the public to remain calm and follow updates.
The blackout exposed vulnerabilities in the shared grid. While no injuries or deaths occurred, the disruption raised concerns about energy security and cross-border power reliance.
As power flows back, officials plan to prevent a repeat of this crisis.