A major power outage has been reported in Spain and Portugal, including their capital cities, with the cause of the blackout currently unknown. Train stations and aiports have been impacted
Holiday hotspots across Spain and Portugal have been plunged into darkness following a massive power outage that has hit both countries, including their capitals.
Destinations in both countries are facing transport chaos today amid the blackouts, with Spanish outlet ABC reporting that air traffic is operating at “half capacity”. Takeoffs and landings are currently possible, although the boarding bridges are not operating. Arrivals and departures boards at airports including El Prat in Barcelona and Madrid Airport show delay stretching up to an hour.
Spain’s train network has been badly impacted, with early reports suggesting passengers stuck in tunnels are being evacuated by foot. Operator Renfe has stopped trains from entering or exiting stations. An unknown number of people have been stuck in lifts in stations.
Madrid Metro has suspended its service for reasons beyond the company’s control and has advised users to seek alternative means, such as buses.
While vital services including hospitals are operating thanks to back-up power generators, the traffic lights in cities including Madrid are down, leading to long queues and chaps on the roads. Spanish electricity operator RedElectrica reported on Monday that the Iberian peninsula is experiencing significant disruptions, with the situation currently under assessment and response efforts underway.
Have you been impacted by the power cuts? Email [email protected]
Such extensive blackouts are unusual for the region, which has a population exceeding 50 million, though the exact number of those affected remains unclear.
The Ministry of the Interior is consulting with the Cybersecurity Coordination Office to determine whether it is a cyberattack. “It’s too early to conduct any analysis,” they told ABC.
At approximately 12,30 pm local time, Spain’s national broadcaster RTVE revealed that the blackout had struck various regions, causing its newsroom, the Spanish parliament in Madrid, and metro stations nationwide to lose power. Residents in Barcelona and surrounding areas also took to neighborhood WhatsApp groups to report the incident.
In Portugal, with a population of around 10.6 million, the capital Lisbon and neighboring regions, as well as parts of the north and south, were impacted. Portuguese energy distributor E-Redes attributed the outage to “a problem with the European electricity system,” as stated by the Portuguese newspaper Expresso.
To stabilize the network, E-Redes was forced to implement controlled power cuts in certain locations, with reports suggesting that parts of France were also affected.
The blackout has disrupted mobile phone networks, preventing calls, although some apps remained functional. While unconfirmed, there are news reports indicating that the Lisbon subway has ceased operations and traffic lights in the city center are out.
Some communities not affected are the Balearic Islands, Ceuta, Melilla, and the Canary Islands. Barcelona-El Prat has not been too badly impacted by the air traffic disruption, Libertad Digital reports, but Madrid-Barajas has experienced “moments of uncertainty” due to power outages.