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Spain and Portugal report massive power outages

Lisbon

Spain and Portugal are reportedly facing a major power outage.

Spanish electricity network operator Red Electrica said it had activated plans to restore supply, with "all resources dedicated to resolving" the outage, The Guardian reports.

Spanish train operator Renfe said there were nationwide power outages, causing trains to be grounded and departures to be cancelled, Reuters reports.

Barcelona and Seville are among the main Spanish cities affected, while the metro systems of Barcelona, ​​Valencia and Madrid are also reported to have been affected.

Meanwhile, there are also disruptions at Madrid's Barajas airport, which has reported flight delays.

Portuguese media are also reporting severe disruptions to telecom and transport operations.

Spain and Portugal in chaos after power outage

1 months ago / 28 Apr 2025 15:31
Spain

Spain and Portugal were hit by a massive power outage on Monday, paralyzing public transport, causing major traffic jams and flight delays.

The Portuguese electricity operator said the outage was caused by a "rare" atmospheric phenomenon linked to changes in temperature. Meanwhile, European Council President Antonio Costa said there were no indications of a cyberattack, as initially claimed.

A crisis committee has been set up in Spain to manage the situation. 

The Spanish and Portuguese governments have also called emergency meetings of their respective cabinets after the outage, which also briefly affected part of France, which borders northeastern Spain.

Portuguese utility REN has confirmed power outages across the Iberian Peninsula, while Spanish grid operator Red Electrica has announced it is working with regional energy companies to restore supply.

Spanish media have reported traffic jams in central Madrid after traffic lights stopped working.

Hundreds of people stood outside institutional buildings on the streets of Madrid and a large police presence was also seen.