Government officials are gathering for a meeting at 1 p.m., taking place at their official residence.
In the upcoming meeting, set for shortly, we're dealing with a prolonged power outage sweeping across Portugal since around 11:30 AM, also impacting parts of Europe. The Minister of the Presidency, António Leitao Amaro, confirmed to Lusa that a monitoring group has been established to tackle this blackout, stating the issue seems to stem from the power grid, likely originating in Spain.
While no definitive cause has been identified yet, the Minister emphasized that the Government is working alongside public and private agents to reinstate power supply as swiftly as possible, although no deadlines have been given. Leitao Amaro also highlighted that the Government is collaborating with various national authorities and essential service providers to ensure a speedy resumption of electricity in Portugal.
Beyond restoring power, the Government is focused on maintaining the continuity of public services, particularly critical infrastructure. Leitao Amaro stated, "We are, of course, in touch with all associated services and entities coordinating them. Our focus is on ensuring public order as well."
It's worth noting that this nationwide outage has caused closure of major airports such as Madrid's Barajas International Airport and Lisbon's Humberto Delgado Airport, as well as disruptions to metro systems and surgeries in hospitals across the affected regions. Despite these challenges, hospitals are using backup generators to perform critical operations.
More information about the exact cause of the outage, its regional impact, and restoration timelines is yet to be disclosed. In light of the widespread disruption, it's evident that a regional coordination effort is underway, though specific details regarding these efforts are currently scant.
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[1] Details from initial reports on the power outage and its progress.
- The Portuguese government has established a monitoring group to tackle the widespread power outage that started around 11:30 AM, which has also affected parts of Europe.
- Minister Leitao Amaro, the Minister of the Presidency, emphasized that politics aside, the government is working with both public and private agents to quickly restore electricity.
- Despite the outage, normalcy is disrupted as major airports like Madrid's Barajas International Airport and Lisbon's Humberto Delgado Airport have been closed, affecting public transportation and critical infrastructure.
- As the cause of the outage remains unknown and timelines for restoration have yet to be revealed, it appears that the government is coordinating with numerous national authorities and essential service providers to ensure the resumption of electricity and maintain the continuity of public services.
