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A huge power outage hit Spain and Portugal, disrupting life across major cities, shutting airports, and halting trains and traffic signals.
Madrid’s mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida urged residents to limit movements and stay indoors, warning that blocked roads could create more dangers and delays.
According to officials and international media reports, the blackout affected Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Lisbon, and even some areas of France.
Spain’s national grid operator Red Eléctrica said electricity demand suddenly plunged from 27,500 megawatts to just 15,000 megawatts around 12:15 p.m local time on Monday.
Portugal’s E-Redes said the blackout was due to a “problem with the European electricity system,” forcing selective power cuts to balance the supply.
Hospitals in Spain and Portugal switched to backup generators immediately, ensuring critical medical services remained available despite the widespread power disruption.
Metro services in Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon were suspended, leaving thousands of commuters stranded and prompting chaotic scenes at bus stations.
Mobile networks and telephone lines went down in many areas, and shops across cities could not accept card payments as systems collapsed.
Spanish authorities suspended parliament sessions, while TV newsrooms and public offices also went dark during the sudden and massive blackout.
By late afternoon, both Red Eléctrica and E-Redes said electricity supply was gradually returning to most affected cities, including Madrid and Lisbon.
Officials from Spain, Portugal, and France plan to meet European electricity regulators this week to investigate the cause and prevent future incidents.
