A massive power outage swept across the Iberian peninsula of Europe on Monday, paralysing cities, halting trains, grounding flights and cutting mobile signals. The massive blackout affected millions across countries including France, Belgium, Spain and Portugal.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called it “a complete collapse of the system” — something the country has “never” experienced before.
Sánchez called it one of the worst power collapses in European history, stating in a national address, “We have never had a complete collapse of the system.”
The power grid in Spain lost 15 gigawatts — a staggering 60% of national demand — in just five seconds on Monday evening, according to the Prime Minister.
By 7 am on Tuesday, more than 99% of energy demand had been restored in Spain, Red Eléctrica, the country’s electricity operator, confirmed. Portugal’s grid operator REN also announced that power had been fully restored to all 6.4 million customers, with all 89 substations back online since late Monday.
Spain’s weather agency AEMET said there were no strange meteorological conditions or temperature fluctuations that could have led to the blackout. Portugal’s National Cybersecurity Center dismissed fears of a cyber attack, and European Council President Antonio Costa confirmed there were “no indications of any cyber attack.” Sabotage has also been ruled out by Teresa Ribera, an executive vice president of the European Commission, who called the event “one of the most serious episodes recorded in Europe in recent times.”
Trains, flights, and commuters caught off guard
The blackout had a ripple effect on transport across Spain. In Madrid’s Atocha station and Barcelona’s Sants station, hundreds of stranded passengers waited overnight after train services were cancelled. The Red Cross provided blankets to travellers who spent the night in terminals.
Emergency services in Spain said that around 35,000 passengers had to be rescued from stuck trains and underground metros on Monday. Sports centres, airports, and stations became makeshift shelters.
The blackout also disrupted major events, including the Madrid Open tennis tournament, which remained affected on Tuesday after being cancelled the day before. Organisers postponed the day’s opening due to ongoing power issues.
By late Tuesday morning, the Madrid metro system was back to normal. In Barcelona, while metro services resumed, commuter trains remained suspended due to “electrical instability,” transport firm Rodalies Catalunya said.
