On Monday, there were extensive power failures in various areas of Spain, Portugal, and France, impacting essential operations like airports and leading to transport issues.
E-Redes, Portugal’s national energy provider, explained that the outage resulted from a glitch in the European electricity network. They noted that in addition to Portugal, “regions in Spain and France were also impacted due to issues with high voltage lines.”
E-Redes reported that the blackout was widespread in Spain, affecting areas such as Catalonia, Andalusia, Aragon, Navarre, the Basque Country, Castile and León, Extremadura, and Murcia.
In France, the Portuguese company added that “the Basque Coast and the Burgundy area also faced power interruptions.”
The exact reason behind the outages remains unclear. However, the disturbances were felt in cities throughout the region, impacting millions across the Iberian Peninsula.
Renfe, Spain’s national train service, posted on X at 12:30 p.m. that “the entire National Electricity Grid was offline,” which stopped all train operations at every station.
In southeastern Spain, Valencia’s train service reported network-wide disruptions. They stated, “the extent and duration of the outage remain unknown,” in a message on X.
About an hour later, Spain’s national power firm, Red Eléctricia, announced on X that it had restored partial power in the northern and southern parts of the peninsula.
In Murcia, a city in the southeast, traffic lights and pedestrian signals were out, prompting vehicles to navigate cautiously through the streets.
Many restaurants halted their service, and churches closed their doors. People congregated outside, checking their phones for updates on the situation.
Teresa Garcia, 92, was seated in a wheelchair outside her home during lunchtime, waiting for the electricity to return so she could use the elevator to reach her apartment.
In Madrid, matches for the ongoing Madrid Open tennis tournament were suspended, according to the ATP Tour.
EasyJet informed travelers that “Spanish airports are currently undergoing significant power outages affecting various critical systems and airport facilities.”
The airline anticipated delays, labeling the situation as “extraordinary and beyond our control.”
Despite the power failure, midday sunlight streamed into Murcia, allowing indoor flamenco classes to go on as people danced in the bright light.
This news story is unfolding. Please return for updates.
