Blackout strikes major regions in Spain and Portugal, restoring power and investigating the root cause.
Power Restored in Spain and Portugal After Huge Blackout
Following a widespread blackout that hit Spain and Portugal, the two countries are slowly returning to normal as power supplies are restored. Millions of people were affected as large parts of both countries, including major cities like Madrid and Lisbon, plunged into darkness on Monday.
Travel chaos reigned as countless people found themselves stranded, with trains halting, planes grounded, internet and mobile networks cut off, traffic lights down, and some hospital operations suspended. The situation was so dire that Spain's interior ministry declared a national emergency, and emergency cabinet meetings were held in both countries to investigate the root cause of the blackout.
As of Monday evening, approximately half of Spain's electricity supplies had been restored by the grid operator, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced. The remaining supply should be back online by Tuesday. Neither country's government has definitively explained the cause of the outage, but they are considering all possibilities. Meanwhile, Portugal's Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said power would be fully restored in the coming hours.
Updates on the Blackout in Spain and Portugal
Officials have yet to pinpoint the exact cause of the catastrophic blackout in the Iberian Peninsula. According to Spain's power grid operator Red Electrica, the event was an "unprecedented" and "extraordinary" occurrence. Portugal's grid operator Ren, on the other hand, suggests the outage was caused by a fault in the Spanish electricity grid related to a "rare atmospheric phenomenon" involving extreme temperature variations, leading to "anomalous oscillations" in high-voltage lines. It could take up to a week for the network to fully recover.
France experienced a brief power loss as a result of the outages in Spain and Portugal, according to French grid operator RTE. Madrid's metro system was evacuated, traffic lights stopped working, and some airports reported minor incidents. The tennis tournament in Madrid was disrupted, forcing players off court, and some spectators were left without access to basic services, such as water and money withdrawals.
What's Affected by the Blackout?
- Transport systems, including trains, metros, airports, and traffic lights
- Internet and mobile phone coverage
- Lighting in homes, businesses, and other buildings with backup generators
- ATMs and card payments, as well as most point-of-sale systems
- Elevators in buildings
- Electric vehicle charging stations and fuel pumps
- Air conditioning units
- A significant number of water pumps, leaving some homes without water access
Aena, which operates international airports across Spain, reported some incidents at the airports due to the outage. They advised passengers to check with their airlines and expect possible disruptions to access and ground transportation.
People on the Madrid Metro, like Maddie Sephton from west London, were stuck in trains when the power outage occurred. She was heading to the airport when the lights went out for 20 minutes. Without operating lifts, she had to manually climb 15 flights of stairs. She also encountered problems with card payments, cash machines, and traffic lights.
The Road to Recovery
Authorities are working diligently to determine the cause of the widespread blackout and restore power to all affected areas. Passengers are advised to stay informed and follow updates from their respective airlines to avoid any inconveniences during this recovery period.
- The Iberian Peninsula's grid operators, Red Electrica (Spain) and Ren (Portugal), are still investigating the exact cause of the blackout.
- General news and crime-and-justice sectors reported accidents and disruptions in transport systems, airports, and traffic lights due to the blackout.
- Madrid's Minister of Transport, José Luis Ábalos, announced that the metro system, trains, and traffic lights would reopen gradually as power was restored.
- Following the incident, officials have opened investigations into the blackout, involving politics and general-news sectors as the root cause remains unclear.
