Blackout in Spain, Portugal and parts of France

Massive power outage hit across the Iberian Peninsula causing widespread chaos.

A widespread and unprecedented power outage swept across Spain and Portugal, plunging millions into darkness and severely disrupting daily life, transportation and communication. Southern regions of France also experienced brief blackouts, adding to concerns over the stability of the European power grid.

The blackout, which began around 10:30 GMT (12:30 p.m. in Spain, 11:30 a.m. in Portugal), triggered chaos across the Iberian Peninsula. Major cities including Madrid, Lisbon, Barcelona, and Valencia saw metro and train systems grind to a halt, while air travel was disrupted, causing closures at major hubs such as Madrid-Barajas and Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado airports. Telecommunications were heavily affected, with mobile networks and internet access lost across large areas.

One of the X user David Sobolewski @buzzyrobot wrote:

“The Iberian Peninsula… wiped off the map of lights. This is how it looked from orbit last night after a massive blackout hit Spain and Portugal. Cosmic silence over the region.”

In Portugal, authorities confirmed the outage was nationwide. Spain’s Red Eléctrica and Portugal’s REN the respective grid operators worked throughout the day to restore services. By Tuesday morning, power had been fully restored in Portugal and nearly all of Spain, though sporadic disruptions lingered.

Despite the magnitude of the outage, officials across the affected countries and the European Council ruled out cyberattacks or foul play.

The effects of the outage were felt in every walks of life: 

-Public transport collapsed, Renfe, Spain’s national rail operator suspended operations across all stations. Subways in multiple cities were shut down. 

-Air traffic was grounded, 20% of Spain’s flights halted and connections from other European cities cancelled. 

-Emergency services, overtime rescuing individuals trapped in elevators and managing traffic without signals. 

-Hospitals switched to backup generators, and Portuguese banks and schools were closed under a declared energy emergency. 

Scenes of confusion and adaptation unfolded across both countries. With traffic lights out and mobile data unavailable, many residents resorted to walking, queuing at ATMs, or shopping in cash-only stores. In some cases, shop owners allowed people to take supplies without paying, given the collapse of payment systems.

The X user from Portugal Adz @adrienne_adz wrote:

9 hours of a national power outage in Portugal and It felt like lockdown all over again…

People began stock piling water. Cars were initially gridlocked and the police were on the streets. There was a nervous energy in the air. But there was also a kind of excitement and then a calm. People were playing on quiet streets with their kids and gathering with friends.

We had a bbq and found ourselves thinking of a cards against humanity card. Is this is how it ends? Not with a bang but with a… bbq?!

The blackout also disrupted major events, including the Madrid Open tennis tournament, and forced cultural institutions like the Prado Museum to evacuate visitors amid concerns over the safety of priceless artworks. Experts warn that while the cause remains unclear, the incident underscores Europe’s vulnerability to grid instability and the growing need for resilient infrastructure amid rising energy demands and cross-border dependencies.