Photo by Brett Sayles
A significant power outage has reportedly affected the Iberian Peninsula, resulting in millions of residents in Spain and Portugal being left without electricity. The Spanish grid operator, Red Electrica, confirmed this development via a post on X, indicating that teams are urgently working to determine the cause and restore power. Red Electrica stated, ‘The causes are being analyzed, and all resources are being dedicated to resolving the issue.’ The blackout has also disrupted telecommunications networks and transportation services, leading to widespread chaos in both major cities and rural areas.
Authorities have yet to provide a timeline for complete restoration, but emergency services are advising citizens to remain calm and limit travel whenever possible. According to Euronews, the cause of the outage is still unclear; however, domestic media suggest that issues within the European electric grid may have affected the national grids of the Iberian Peninsula.
Furthermore, a fire on France’s Alaric Mountain, which damaged a high-voltage power line between Perpignan and eastern Narbonne, has been identified as a potential contributing factor. The report indicates that Madrid’s Barajas International Airport experienced a power loss, and telecommunications were disrupted, preventing many individuals from accessing mobile networks. Other airports in the region have also ceased operations. Numerous passengers are stranded in metro systems in both the Spanish and Portuguese capitals, with trains immobilized in tunnels, as reported by Euronews Portugal. The blackout has also impacted hospitals, including Madrid’s La Paz and several medical facilities in Portugal.
The Spanish government is convening an emergency meeting at Moncloa and is actively monitoring the situation, as reported by Euronews Spain. Citizens are advised to refrain from calling 112 unless it is a genuine emergency to prevent overwhelming the lines. Individuals in Andorra and certain regions of France adjacent to Spain have also reported experiencing the blackout. F
urthermore, there have been additional reports of power outages in Belgium. The exact cause of the blackout remains uncertain. Major electric companies in Spain, Endesa and Iberdrola, are currently conducting investigations. Some local media outlets speculate that the issue may be linked to the European electric grid’s impact on Spain’s national grid. Additionally, a fire on Alaric mountain in the south-west of France has damaged a high-voltage power line connecting Perpignan and eastern Narbonne, which could potentially be a contributing factor, according to Portugal’s national electric company REN.
