Massive Power Outage Hits Spain and Portugal

Spanish power distributor Red Eléctrica said that restoring power to large parts of the country after a massive and unprecedented outage Monday that also hit Portugal could take 6-10 hours.

The company declined to speculate on the causes of the blackout. The Portuguese National Cybersecurity Center issued a statement saying there was no sign the outage was due to a cyberattack.

Eduardo Prieto, head of operations at Red Eléctrica, told journalists it was unprecedented, calling the event “exceptional and extraordinary.”

The outage hit across Spain and Portugal, including their capitals, knocking out subway networks, phone lines, traffic lights and ATM machines.

Authorities said the cause was not immediately known, though one Portuguese official said the problem appeared to be with the electricity distribution network in Spain.

Story continues below advertisement

Emergency Response

The Portuguese Cabinet convened an emergency meeting at the prime minister’s residence, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited power distributor Red Eléctrica to follow efforts at restoring grid operations.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Impact of the Outage

The countries have a combined population of over 50 million people. It was not immediately clear how many were affected. It is rare to have such a widespread outage across the Iberian Peninsula.

A couple of hours later, Spain’s electricity network operator said it was recovering power in the north and south of the peninsula, which would help to progressively restore the electricity supply nationwide.

Portugal’s government said the outage appeared to stem from problems outside the country, an official told national news agency Lusa.

“It looks like it was a problem with the distribution network, apparently in Spain. It’s still being ascertained,” Cabinet Minister Leitão Amaro was quoted as saying.

Story continues below advertisement

Effects on Daily Life

Portuguese distributor E-Redes said the outage was due to “a problem with the European electricity system,” according to Portuguese newspaper Expresso. The company said it was compelled to cut power in specific areas to stabilize the network, according to Expresso.

Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE said a major power outage hit several regions of the country just after midday local time, leaving its newsroom, Spain’s parliament in Madrid and subway stations across the country in the dark.

A graph on Spain’s electricity network website showing demand across the country indicated a steep drop around 12:15 p.m. from 27,500MW to near 15,000MW.

BREAKING: Massive — really, massive — electricity outage hits Spain, which large part of the country suffering blackouts (including Madrid and Barcelona).

Data from Spain’s national grid shows a lost of >10 GW of demand, from ~26GW to ~12GW in a few seconds. Reason unknonw. pic.twitter.com/KwvDxOOLQJ

— Javier Blas (@JavierBlas) April 28, 2025

Video aired on Spanish television showed people evacuating metro stations in Madrid and empty stations with trains stopped in Barcelona.

Story continues below advertisement

Disruptions to Services

Play at the Madrid Open tennis tournament was suspended. Three matches were underway when power went down.

Spain’s traffic department asked citizens to avoid using their cars as much as possible due to the power outage, which has affected traffic lights and electrical road signage.

In Terrassa, an industrial town 50 kilometres (31 miles) from Barcelona, stores selling generators were out of stock after people lined up to buy them.

Portugal’s E-Redes said parts of France also were affected.

Portugal’s Situation

In a country of some 10.6 million people, the outage hit the capital, Lisbon, and surrounding areas, as well as northern and southern parts. Portuguese police placed more officers on duty to direct traffic and cope with increased requests for help, including from people trapped in elevators.

Portuguese hospitals and other emergency services switched to generators. Gas stations stopped working and trains stopped running.

Portugal’s National Authority for Emergencies and Civil Protection said backup power systems were operating.

Several Lisbon subway cars were evacuated, reports said. Also in Portugal, courts stopped work and ATMs and electronic payment systems were affected. Traffic lights in Lisbon stopped working.

It was not possible to make calls on mobile phone networks, though some apps were working.

Conclusion

The massive power outage that hit Spain and Portugal has caused widespread disruptions to daily life, with millions of people affected. The cause of the outage is still unknown, but authorities are working to restore power as quickly as possible.

FAQs

What was the extent of the power outage?

A) The power outage affected large parts of Spain and Portugal, including their capitals, and knocked out subway networks, phone lines, traffic lights, and ATM machines.

What was the cause of the outage?

A) The cause of the outage is still unknown, but authorities are investigating the possibility of a problem with the electricity distribution network in Spain.

How many people were affected?

A) The countries have a combined population of over 50 million people, but it is not immediately clear how many were affected by the outage.

What services were disrupted?

A) The outage disrupted many services, including subway networks, phone lines, traffic lights, ATM machines, hospitals, and emergency services.

&copy 2025 The Canadian Press