A massive power outage has severely disrupted daily life across Spain and Portugal. According to a statement from Renfe, Spain’s national railway operator, train services ceased around 12:30 p.m. local time due to a complete failure of the national electricity grid, affecting all railway stations across the country. Simultaneously, TAP Portugal advised travelers not to head to airports as operations were critically limited.
Madrid’s mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, urged residents to minimize movement to keep roads clear for emergency services, noting that traffic lights and streetlights were not functioning, leading to further complications. The power outage has also interrupted activities at the Madrid Open tennis tournament, forcing players off the court as essential scoreboards and cameras failed.
The blackout’s cause is still unclear, but a Portuguese government official suggested it could be linked to a cyberattack, a claim that the National Cyber Security Centre has not substantiated. Meanwhile, the Portuguese government announced it would form a working group to investigate the outage, which is affecting not only Spain and Portugal but also parts of France and Germany.
Media reports indicate that the outage left various public and private infrastructures in disarray, with businesses in northwestern Spain struggling to operate. Efforts to restore power are underway, with the Spanish electricity grid operator, Red Electrica, reporting gradual progress in reconnecting regions of the peninsula. However, with both countries’ combined population nearing 50 million, the extent of disruption remains uncertain.
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