Extensive power disruption affects numerous areas in Spain, France, and Portugal.
Spainfaced a chaotic Monday as a massive power outage swept across the nation, disrupting trains, airports, and other critical infrastructure. The dark skies also engulfed parts of Portugal and France, causing widespread disarray across the Iberian Peninsula.
Energy authorities attributed the blackout to a disruption in the European grid. Yet, the causes remained elusive. The Mediterranean sun continued to blaze brightly over Murcia, a city in southeastern Spain, as crosswalk signs and traffic lights failed, creating a strange yet eerie silence on the streets.
Portugal's electrical grid operator disclosed that the outage stemmed from extreme temperature variations in the Spanish interior, leading to abnormal oscillations in super high voltage lines. This rare phenomenon, known as "induced atmospheric vibration," caused synchronization problems between the electrical systems, affecting the interlinked European network[1].
The effects of the blackout were far-reaching. Hospitals were forced to rely on generators for power. Portuguese banks and schools were closed. The Madrid Open tennis tournament matches were suspended[2]. In Murcia, many restaurants halted their services, while churches shut their doors. Long lines snaked outside ATMs as daily life came to a standstill[2].
EasyJet informed passengers of Spanish airports experiencing ongoing power outages, causing essential systems and airport infrastructure disruptions. The airline anticipated delays due to these extraordinary circumstances[2]. Despite the chaos, hidden gems surfaced amidst it all, such as flamenco classes continuing under the pool of natural light streaming in through the windows[3].
This article drew inspiration from The New York Times*.
[1] Source: World High-Voltage Power Networks: The European Grid
[2] Source: AP News
[3] Source: CNN
The blackout, a disruption in the European grid, reeled through Spain and parts of Portugal and France, causing chaos in the Iberian Peninsula. Politics and general-news outlets reported on the effects of the outage, including suspended ATP tournaments, closed banks and schools, and hospitals relying on generators for power. In the midst of this crime-and-justice uncertainty, some essential services, such as flamco classes, continued to operate under natural light. EasyJet warned passengers of delays due to Spanish airports experiencing ongoing power outages.
