Update: Power Gradually Restored in Iberian Peninsula

A massive power outage on Monday caused widespread disruption across Spain and Portugal, leaving millions without electricity, grounding flights, halting public transportation, and forcing hospitals to suspend routine operations. Power began returning to parts of both countries late on Monday, but authorities continue to investigate the cause of the unprecedented blackout.

National Emergency Declared

Spain’s Interior Ministry declared a national emergency as the blackout brought the country to a standstill. The Spanish government deployed 30,000 police officers to maintain order, and emergency cabinet meetings were convened in both Spain and Portugal.

While the exact cause of the outage remains unclear, both countries pointed to possible faults in their interconnected power grid systems. Portugal suggested that the issue originated in Spain, while Spain’s officials blamed a connection failure with France.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the situation as “something that has never happened before,” revealing that the country’s power grid lost 15 gigawatts of electricity—equivalent to 60% of its national demand—in just five seconds.

Unprecedented Impact

The blackout triggered widespread disruptions, including the suspension of routine medical services in Spanish hospitals. Emergency procedures continued, and critical patients were attended to with backup generators. Public transportation across the Iberian Peninsula ground to a halt, with numerous train services canceled. In Madrid and Lisbon, traffic lights stopped functioning, leading to severe traffic congestion and the self-organized efforts of civilians to direct traffic.

Around 35,000 train passengers were stranded, and authorities worked through the evening to evacuate those stuck on trains. In addition, several retailers, including grocery chains like Lidl and IKEA, closed their doors, while ATMs and electronic banking services were temporarily unavailable.

In Portugal, over 85% of the country’s power substations were restored by late Monday, with the capital, Lisbon, among the areas to see power returning. In Spain, power was gradually restored to major cities such as Madrid and Barcelona, with 61% of the country’s electricity back online by late Monday, according to grid operator Red Eléctrica.

Speculation and Ongoing Investigations

While initial reports ruled out a cyberattack, speculation about sabotage circulated. Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez mentioned speaking with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, but no evidence of foul play has been confirmed.

Portugal’s National Cybersecurity Center stated there were no signs of a cyberattack, and Spanish grid operator Red Eléctrica suggested a technical failure at the Spanish-French grid connection triggered the widespread blackout. "The loss of power exceeded what European systems are designed to handle, leading to a collapse of the Spanish grid," said Eduardo Prieto, head of operations at Red Eléctrica.

The event is among the most significant power failures to affect Europe in recent years, alongside notable outages in Italy in 2003 and Germany in 2006.

Despite the disruption, both governments pledged to restore full power by Tuesday, with Spain working to restore services using hydroelectric and thermal power plants, and receiving electricity from neighboring countries Morocco and France.

As authorities continue to assess the full impact, the causes behind this rare event remain under investigation.