Massive Power Outage in Spain: Portugal and France Also Affected

The day after the historic blackout, Spain and Portugal are returning to normal: By early Tuesday morning, almost everyone in both countries had power again. The internet, phones, and even traffic lights were functioning largely without problems after Monday's total outage.

Subways and trains were running almost everywhere again, but in Catalonia, for example, commuter trains, used daily by tens of thousands for commuting to work and school, remained halted due to ongoing system instability.

The Spanish provider Red Eléctrica announced on Tuesday morning that 99.95 percent of the energy supply on the mainland affected by the outage had been restored. In Portugal, all 6.5 million households now had power again, the government in Lisbon reported. The water supply was functioning almost nationwide - and the entire transport system was largely back in operation after the power outage, it was said.

Power Outage in Spain Not Due to Cyberattack

The nearly nationwide power outage in Spain on Monday is most likely not due to hacker manipulation. According to preliminary findings, a cyberattack can be ruled out, the power grid operator REE announced on Tuesday.

The power grid is stable again and functioning normally, explained the head of REE network operations, Eduardo Prieto. As a first consequence of the incident, connections to the French power grid should be expanded.

Update on Tuesday

After the massive power outage in Spain and Portugal, the situation for millions of people on the Iberian Peninsula is slowly returning to normal. The Spanish network operator Red Eléctrica announced around 6:00 a.m. that about 99.16 percent of the power supply had been restored. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had suggested a return to normalcy on Tuesday in a television address a few hours earlier.

In the neighboring country Portugal, the power supply for 95 percent of the 6.5 million customers of the network operator E-Redes was restored by midnight, as reported by the broadcaster RTP. The Spanish government did not name a cause for the blackout. No possibility is ruled out, said Sánchez. While the investigation into the causes is ongoing, according to Red Eléctrica, by late evening there was widespread power again in both the capital Madrid - which had been without power for nine hours - and in regions such as Catalonia, Aragon, the Basque Country, Galicia, Asturias, Navarra, and Valencia.

During the day, countless people in Portugal and Spain were stuck in trains, subways, and elevators; tourists were stranded at airports, and internet and phone networks were down. Traffic lights failed, hospitals had to switch to emergency operation with power generators, and many Spaniards and Portuguese on the mainland were practically unable to work. In Madrid, the international Masters 1000 tennis tournament with top players also had to be interrupted.

Cheers from Windows

According to the Spanish newspaper "El País," the massive blackout affected only the mainland, not the Canary and Balearic Islands, which belong to Spain. The capital, Madrid, was almost completely cut off from the outside world for hours. When the lights suddenly came back on long after nightfall, residents cheered loudly in the streets, from windows, and balconies. Joyful shouts like "Siii" (Yesss) and "Vivaaa!" (Hurrraaay) were heard from passing cars, while others enthusiastically sang the famous song "Y Viva España."

Reports of "rare atmospheric phenomenon"

The problems in Portugal were caused by a disturbance in the Spanish power grid attributed to a "rare atmospheric phenomenon," reported RTP and the British broadcaster Sky News, citing the Portuguese grid operator REN. The operation will be gradually restored, but the complete normalization of the grid could take "a week due to the complexity of the phenomenon." The Portuguese Ministry of Defense called on the population to remain calm.

Spain's national cybersecurity institute, according to the newspaper "El País," announced it was investigating whether a hacker attack could be behind the power outage. However, according to Portuguese EU Council President António Costa, there is currently no indication of such a cyberattack.

Update on Monday

Update: After the massive power outage in Spain, the supply has been restored in parts of the country. As the grid operator Red Eléctrica announced on Monday, the power supply has been restored in "several areas in the north, south, and west" of the country. Households in these areas can be supplied again. Work is being done to restore the entire country.

In all of Spain and Portugal, as well as in southwestern France, the power went out on Monday afternoon for reasons still unclear. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez convened a crisis meeting of the government in Madrid. The population was urged to stay in place to avoid traffic chaos. Rail traffic was temporarily paralyzed throughout the country.

The supply has now been secured in several areas in the north, south, and west of the peninsula, reported the Spanish power grid operator Red Eléctrica. Regions such as Catalonia, Aragon, the Basque Country, Galicia, Asturias, Navarra, and Castile are reportedly supplied again.

Millions of people were affected, the grid operators reported. The cause was initially unclear. In Spain, the power outage completely paralyzed rail traffic: A blackout "led to the interruption of rail traffic across the entire network," the Spanish rail network operator Adif announced on the online service X. According to the power grid operator Red Eléctrica, the restoration of the power supply could take six to ten hours.

In all of Spain and Portugal, as well as in southwestern France, the power went out on Monday afternoon for reasons still unclear. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez convened a crisis meeting of the government in Madrid. The population was urged to stay in place to avoid traffic chaos. Medium and long-distance trains continued not to run. "A resumption of medium and long-distance traffic is currently not foreseeable," announced Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente on X. Travelers would have to forgo their journeys for the time being.

Red Eléctrica advised against speculating about the cause of the power outage. Currently, there are no indications of a cyberattack, explained the Portuguese EU Council President António Costa on the online service X.

Power outage in Spain, Portugal, and France

The Spanish electricity grid operator Red Eléctrica also reported on X that it had succeeded in restoring power in the north and south of the country. "We are activating" the "plans to restore power supply in collaboration with the companies in the sector" following the "system failure of the peninsula," explained Red Eléctrica. The restoration of supply could take between six and ten hours, said the head of the maintenance department of Red Eléctrica, Eduardo Prieto, to the radio station Cadena Ser. Prieto advised against speculating about the cause of the power outage.

The Portuguese network operator REN stated that "the entire Iberian Peninsula" was affected, as well as part of France. In Portugal, the power supply has been interrupted since 11:33 a.m. (local time, 12:33 p.m. CEST). "All plans to restore energy supply have been activated - in collaboration with European energy producers and operators," added REN.

In the center of the Spanish capital, traffic came to a standstill in some areas, as it was further reported. There were long traffic jams because traffic lights had failed. The Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez went to the headquarters of Red Electrica to get an overview of the situation. The Spanish electricity grid monitoring company E-Redes also stated that they are working to gradually restore the connection. "This is a larger European problem," it was further stated.

The Portuguese police stated that traffic lights were affected throughout the country. In Lisbon and Porto, the subway was closed. Trains were no longer running. There was initially no information available on the background of the power outage.

Hacker Attack Not Ruled Out

Further information on the extent of the power outage and its cause was initially not available. Spain's national cybersecurity agency INCIBE is investigating whether a hacker attack could be behind the power outage, wrote "El País".

In the small state of Andorra, located in the Pyrenees, the power outage lasted only a few seconds, reported the energy supplier FEDA on X. The outage was caused on the Spanish side and the electricity was immediately restored thanks to the "automatic reconnection with the line coming from France".

The EU Commission is in contact with national authorities due to the widespread power outage. "The Commission will continue to monitor the situation and ensure that smooth information exchange takes place between all parties involved," the authority in Brussels stated.

Austria Not Affected

The domestic electricity grid operator Austrian Power Grid (APG) confirmed upon APA request, "that there was a technical incident on the Iberian Peninsula today, April 28, 2025, around 12:31 p.m., which apparently resulted in widespread power outages in the region." "The Austrian power supply is and was not affected by the incident at any time," it was emphasized.

Currently, work is being done to fully restore power supply in the affected areas. The investigation of the incident will be coordinated by the European Network of Transmission System Operators (ENTSOE). Furthermore, APG has no further information on the cause or extent, as it was stated.

Power Outage: Ferry and Train Traffic Interrupted Across Spain

The power outage on the Iberian Peninsula has brought train and ferry traffic to a standstill across Spain. The respective operators in the popular holiday destination announced this on Monday. The cause of the power outage, which affected not only Spain and Portugal but also parts of France, was initially unclear according to the network operators.

The cause is still being investigated, explained the Spanish network operator Red Eléctrica, which also reported the massive power outage, on the online service X. The Spanish power grid operator Red Electrica stated that it is working with energy companies to restore the power supply. Parts of the subway in Madrid have been evacuated, radio stations reported.

Both Madrid and Barcelona were without electricity on Monday afternoon. Across the country, the operation of infrastructure and mobile networks as well as traffic were affected, wrote the newspaper "El País": Traffic lights and elevators at train stations, airports, and in other buildings failed. People had to be rescued from subway tunnels and elevators. Hospitals were not affected thanks to the use of generators, according to Spain's Ministry of Health.

Most shops and restaurants in Premià de Mar near Barcelona and other places in Spain were closed. Especially shops with perishable goods and ice cream parlors were eagerly awaiting the restoration of the power supply. "We can hold out for a few more hours, then the ice will melt," said a saleswoman in Premià de Mar.

The word "Luz," Spanish for electricity, is part of almost every conversation among people on the street. Neighbors call out the latest news and rumors to each other from balcony to balcony.

"And how am I supposed to cook now," asks a housewife in Premià de Mar. Although she and her husband have solar panels on the roof, they are of no use to them because the system only works when the grid is operational. A neighbor invited everyone to cook at her place - on her gas stove.

Due to the power outage, the Masters 1000 tennis tournament in Madrid had to be interrupted.

The blackout on the mainland. According to reports, the island groups belonging to the country, the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands, were not affected.

The power outage in Portugal was caused by the disruption in the Spanish power grid, which was attributed to a "rare atmospheric phenomenon," reported the Portuguese broadcaster RTP and the British broadcaster Sky News, among others, citing the Portuguese power grid operator REN. The operation will be gradually restored, with the safety and stability of the grid taking priority. The complete normalization of the grid could take up to a week "due to the complexity of the phenomenon."

(APA/Red)

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