Major Power Outage Hits Spain and Portugal, Disrupts Transport and Services

Spain and Portugal were plunged into a massive power outage on Monday, leaving millions without electricity and disrupting transportation, hospitals, and telecommunications across both countries.

The blackout, which began around midday local time, affected nearly all of Portugal and large portions of Spain, according to official sources. Major airports, including Madrid’s Barajas and Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado, temporarily halted operations, while flights from other European cities were canceled, stranding hundreds of passengers.

Metro systems in Madrid and Lisbon came to a standstill, with trains stuck in tunnels, and hospitals—including Madrid’s La Paz and several facilities in Portugal—were forced to cancel non-urgent surgeries. Backup generators provided limited power in critical areas, but some hospitals reported losing water supply and internet access. Authorities urged citizens to avoid calling emergency lines unless facing a genuine crisis to prevent system overloads.

European Response and Investigation Underway

The European Commission said it was in contact with Spanish and Portuguese authorities as well as ENTSO-E, the European electricity network operators’ group, to determine the cause of the outage.

“We stand ready to support Spain and Portugal in restoring their systems,” said European Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen in a statement. Power had already begun returning to some regions by Monday afternoon, though full restoration could take six to ten hours, according to Spain’s grid operator, Red Eléctrica.

The blackout also briefly affected parts of France and Andorra, though French grid operator RTE later confirmed power had been restored in affected areas.

Unclear Cause: Grid Failure or Cyberattack?

The exact cause of the outage remains unknown. Spanish and Portuguese officials have not ruled out a cyberattack, though no evidence has yet been found to support that theory.

A fire in southwestern France, which damaged a high-voltage line, has been cited as a possible contributing factor. Meanwhile, energy experts suggest the outage could stem from a technical failure in the interconnected European grid or a sudden supply-demand imbalance.

Spain’s opposition to Israel’s war in Gaza and its support for Ukraine have made it a frequent target of cyberattacks, prompting heightened scrutiny. The country’s National Intelligence Centre is investigating, though officials emphasize no signs of sabotage have been detected.

Economic and Daily Life Disrupted

The outage caused widespread chaos, with traffic lights failing, elevators stalling, and businesses resorting to cash-only transactions. The Madrid Open tennis tournament was suspended, and universities in Barcelona sent students home over concerns about emergency power.

Despite the disruptions, Spain’s stock exchange continued operating, albeit with some traders facing connectivity issues.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez convened an emergency meeting, while Portugal’s government pledged updates as the situation develops. The incident marks one of Europe’s most severe power failures in years, reigniting calls for greater energy grid integration across the continent.