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18h ago

Massive Blackout Disrupts Spain and Portugal, Investigations Ongoing

Millions remain without power as authorities probe technical faults and potential cyberattack behind unprecedented outage affecting the Iberian Peninsula and parts of France.

Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 28, 2025 General view of an empty court as the matches get suspended due to a power outage REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura
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People check their mobile phones as they stand outside a closed subway station following a power outage in Lisbon, Portugal, Monday, April 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
Tennis fans at the Madrid Open filtered out in the dark. The day's matches were suspended.

Overview

  • The power outage began at 12:30 PM local time, crippling electricity, transport, and communications across Spain and Portugal, with brief disruptions in southern France.
  • Grid operators Red Eléctrica and REN are restoring power in phases, with full recovery expected within six to ten hours, but many areas remain affected.
  • Authorities are investigating rare atmospheric phenomena and potential cyberattacks as possible causes of the outage, with no definitive explanation yet identified.
  • Critical infrastructure, including trains, metros, airports, traffic systems, and ATMs, has been severely impacted, causing widespread chaos and delays.
  • Emergency crisis meetings have been convened in both countries, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visiting Red Eléctrica's headquarters to oversee recovery efforts.