Spain and Portugal have been hit by a major power outage that has delayed flights, caused traffic jams, and shut down public transport including metros and trains.
The outage is impacting the entire Iberian peninsula. Transport, Internet services, and water pumps have all been affected.
The Spanish and Portuguese governments convened emergency cabinet meetings after the outage first occurred early in the afternoon.
The blackout was caused by a “rare atmospheric phenomenon”, according to REN, Portugal’s grid operator. It said it could take up to a week for the network to fully normalize.
How Is Travel Impacted?
Transport networks have been halted in multiple cities.
In Portugal, the metro ground to a halt in Lisbon and Porto, and some trains were not running across the country. Traffic lights also blinked off. Drivers in Spain were also urged not to use their cars unless necessary, with Madrid’s mayor, Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida, calling on residents to stay where they are.
Local Portuguese media reported that people were stranded at a metro station near Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado airport, which was also without power. Madrid’s Barajas International Airport also closed.
AENA, which manages 46 airports in Spain, reported flight delays around the country. In a statement on X, it said airports of its network were “operational with backup electrical systems,” however, the impact on flights depended on “the difficulties passengers and crews face when arriving to the airports” and some flights were being delayed, the statement said.
Matches were suspended at the Madrid Open tennis tournament, as the venue lost power and thousands of fans were left in the dark. In a post on X, organizers said they were working to “restore normality as soon as possible.”
Across both countries, large numbers of people were trapped in elevators and shops went dark without electricity.
Elsewhere in Europe, flights to Spain and Portugal were also impacted.
While Dublin Airport in Ireland is operating as normal, the power outage in parts of Spain and Portugal was impacting on airport operations and flight schedules. Further disruption over the remainder of the day is possible, the airport said in a post on X.
What Happens Next?
Portugal’s utility operator REN said they were working in coordination with energy producers for a “phased restoration” of energy supply, after the “massive cut in electricity supply across the Iberian Peninsula”.
Spanish grid operator Red Eléctrica said it was working with regional energy companies to restore power.
In a statement on X, it said power had been recovered in some areas of the north, south and west of the peninsula.
The European Commission issued a statement saying it was in contact with the national authorities of Spain and Portugal to understand the cause of the blackout.