Power is gradually being restored across Spain and Portugal following a widespread blackout that plunged the Iberian Peninsula into chaos on Tuesday, disrupting transport, communication networks, and daily life for millions.
The outage, which struck just after midday, left cities in darkness, trains stalled on tracks, elevators immobilised, and internet and phone signals down for hours. Spanish power grid operator Red Eléctrica (REE) reported that electricity had been restored to nearly 90% of mainland Spain by early Tuesday, while Portugal's grid operator confirmed power was back in 6.2 million of the country’s 6.5 million households overnight.
Though the cause of the blackout remains unclear, speculation spread quickly online, prompting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to caution against misinformation. “All potential causes are being analysed,” Sánchez said, adding that the incident led to the sudden loss of about 15 gigawatts—more than half the country’s electricity consumption at the time—within five seconds.
Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro suggested the origin of the outage likely stemmed from Spain. However, both leaders emphasized that there is no evidence of a cyberattack, despite rumours circulating on social media.
The effects of the blackout rippled beyond Spain and Portugal. Brief disruptions were reported in parts of southwest France, while Morocco experienced issues with internet services and airport check-in systems.
In Madrid, emergency services carried out nearly 300 rescue operations to free people trapped in elevators. Metro systems ground to a halt, and railway stations in major cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, and Seville were kept open overnight to shelter stranded passengers. Eleven trains with passengers remained immobilised into the evening.
Chaos unfolded on city streets as traffic lights failed and mobile networks went down. Long queues formed at ATMs, and residents scrambled for taxis and buses. “There’s no coverage. I can’t call my family or go to work,” said Carlos Candori, a 19-year-old construction worker in Madrid. “This has never happened in Spain.”
Hospitals switched to backup generators, though some non-critical units were left without power. Nuclear power plants also shut down automatically as a safety measure, remaining in stable condition thanks to diesel backup systems.
The blackout, which Sánchez called a “serious disruption,” has had significant economic repercussions, particularly for businesses and industries. The European Commission said it is in contact with Spanish and Portuguese authorities, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered support, citing Ukraine’s expertise in dealing with targeted attacks on power infrastructure.
As investigations continue, Spain and Portugal are focused on full recovery and on identifying what caused one of the most significant energy crises to hit Western Europe in recent years.
The papal conclave begins next week, but Iberia is already praying for a miracle of its own: grid stability.