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 largely functioning without issues after Monday's total outage.

According to media reports, at least three people lost their lives due to the massive power outage on the Iberian Peninsula on Monday. In the small town of Taboadela in northwestern Spain, three members of a family died from carbon monoxide poisoning, as reported by the regional newspaper "La Voz de Galicia" and the news agency Europa Press, citing the police.

The victims were a couple aged 81 and 77, and their 56-year-old son. The oldest member of the household needed a ventilator. When the power went out, a gasoline-powered emergency generator was started, and its exhaust fumes apparently spread unnoticed throughout the house.

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 have power again, the government in Lisbon reported. The water supply was functioning almost nationwide - and the entire transportation system was largely back in operation after the power outage, it was stated.

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 an initial 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 grid 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 in a televised address a few hours earlier that a return to normalcy could be expected on Tuesday.

In the neighboring country of Portugal, the power supply for 95 percent of the 6.5 million customers of the grid 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 being ruled out, said Sánchez. While the investigation into the causes is ongoing, according to Red Eléctrica, by late evening there was at least widespread power again in the capital Madrid - which had been without electricity for nine hours - as well as in regions like 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; travelers were stranded at airports, and internet and telephone 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 effectively 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 only affected 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!" (Hurrayyy) were heard from passing cars, while other people 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 due 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 had announced, according to the newspaper "El País," that it was investigating whether a hacker attack could be behind the power outage. According to the 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 in parts of the country has been restored. As the grid operator Red Eléctrica announced on Monday, the power supply in "several areas in the north, south, and west" of the country has been restored. Households in these areas can be supplied again. Work is being done to restore power throughout the country.

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

The supply has since been restored 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 are affected, the network 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 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 that are still unclear. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez convened a government crisis meeting in Madrid. The population was urged to stay put to avoid traffic chaos. Medium and long-distance trains were still not running. "A resumption of medium and long-distance traffic is currently not foreseeable," Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente announced 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. There are currently no indications of a cyberattack, explained the EU Council President from Portugal, António Costa, on the online service X.

Power Outage in Spain, Portugal, and France

The Spanish power grid operator Red Eléctrica also reported on X that it had managed to restore power supply in the north and south of the country. "We are activating" the "plans to restore power supply in collaboration with sector companies" after 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 AM (local time, 12:33 PM CEST). "All plans to restore energy supply have been activated - in collaboration with European energy producers and operators," REN added.

In the center of the Spanish capital, traffic came to a standstill in parts, as it was further reported. There were long traffic jams because traffic lights had failed. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez went to the headquarters of Red Eléctrica to get an overview of the situation. The Spanish power 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 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 provider FEDA on X. The outage was caused on the Spanish side, and 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 smooth information exchange between all parties involved," the authority in Brussels stated.

Austria Not Affected

The domestic power 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 PM, which obviously 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 underway 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 additional information about the cause or extent, as it was stated.

Power Outage: Ferry and Train Traffic Disrupted Across Spain

The power outage on the Iberian Peninsula has paralyzed rail and ferry traffic 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 Eléctrica stated that it is working with energy companies to restore 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 other buildings were out of service. 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 waiting for 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 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 affected the mainland. Reporters reported that 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 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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