Spain’s power grid was nearly fully restored by early Tuesday morning after a massive and unexplained blackout disrupted daily life across the Iberian Peninsula. The outage, one of the most severe in recent European history, grounded flights, shut down metro systems, severed mobile communications, and disabled ATMs across Spain and Portugal.
By 6:30 a.m., more than 99% of Spain’s electricity demand had been restored, according to Red Eléctrica, the national grid operator. Power returned gradually to most regions, while Portugal’s REN reported that 85 of 89 substations were back online by Monday night.
The widespread blackout left airports and train stations resembling temporary shelters as thousands of travelers were stranded. In cities like Madrid, many residents spent Monday night in total darkness. The iconic spires of Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia faded into the night sky, while usually busy neighborhoods stayed eerily quiet, despite intermittent power restoration.
“We have a long night ahead,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said in a national address late Monday, promising full restoration efforts were underway. In Madrid, scattered cheers erupted from balconies as electricity returned.
By Tuesday morning, Madrid’s metro service was expected to be operating on all but one line, with 80% of trains running during the morning rush hour. The previous day had seen widespread shutdowns as train stations closed, offices emptied, and crowds poured into the streets.
Emergency workers rescued some 35,000 passengers stranded along railway and metro lines. As of 11 p.m. Monday, 11 trains remained backed up, awaiting evacuation.
Public buildings across Spain and Portugal were transformed into makeshift shelters. In Lisbon’s airport, stranded travelers like British tourist Ian Cannons struggled to find accommodation or even access the internet. “We can’t book any hotels. Nothing,” he said.
Barcelona authorities distributed 1,200 cots in recreation centers for residents and travelers unable to reach home. Train stations throughout the city turned into dormitories for those left with no options.
With mobile networks and internet access down, battery-powered radios became essential, and supermarkets running on backup power saw long lines as people stocked up on essentials. Many businesses were forced to operate without electronic payment systems, prompting a surge in demand for cash.
Hector Emperador, a father in Barcelona, resorted to his child’s piggybank after ATMs and online banking went offline. “The coronavirus pandemic will be nothing compared to this,” he said grimly.
Gas shortages and traffic chaos plagued cities without working traffic signals. Some residents found themselves locked out of their homes due to electric key malfunctions.
For those with medical needs, the blackout posed serious risks. Access to refrigeration for insulin and power for dialysis or oxygen machines was limited, with only some hospitals running on generators.
Cause Still Unclear
Officials have yet to identify the cause of the blackout, the second major European power failure in recent months following a fire at Heathrow Airport on March 20. Spain’s Prime Minister noted the unprecedented scale of the collapse, which saw the country’s grid lose 15 gigawatts—about 60% of its demand—in just five seconds.
While speculation about a cyberattack spread, Portugal’s National Cybersecurity Center reported no evidence of sabotage. European Commission Vice President Teresa Ribera also ruled out foul play, but acknowledged the seriousness of the incident. “This is one of the most significant power failures Europe has seen in recent times,” she stated.
The Balearic Islands, Ceuta, Melilla, and the Canary Islands were largely unaffected by the outage.
