Gambiaj.com – (Madrid, Spain) – A sweeping power outage plunged large swathes of Spain and Portugal into darkness today, disrupting airports, railway services, businesses, and sporting events across the Iberian Peninsula, while parts of southern France also briefly felt the impact.

Both Madrid and Lisbon, the capitals of Spain and Portugal, were hit hard as energy supplies failed across major urban centers. Airports were shut down, shops and offices were forced into darkness, and streets were left without functioning traffic lights. Tennis matches at the Madrid Open were abruptly suspended, with players and fans left checking their phones for updates in a darkened stadium.

The Spanish government convened an emergency meeting in Madrid to address the crisis, while Red Eléctrica, Spain’s national grid operator, warned that full restoration could take between 6 to 10 hours. Eduardo Prieto, head of operations at Red Eléctrica, described the situation as “exceptional and extraordinary” during a press briefing.

Spain’s railway operator Renfe confirmed that the entire national rail network had come to a halt after a total loss of power at around 12:30 p.m. local time. No trains are departing or arriving at any station until further notice. Meanwhile, Portugal’s national carrier, TAP, advised ticket holders to avoid traveling to airports, citing “temporarily very limited” operations.

Madrid Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida urged residents to stay indoors and minimize movement, stressing the need to keep roads clear for emergency services. Traffic lights and street lighting failed across the city, and several road tunnels were closed for safety reasons.

Concerns quickly turned to whether the outage could have been the result of a cyberattack. However, European Council President António Costa said there were “no indications of any cyberattack” so far. He added that grid operators in both Spain and Portugal were working diligently to investigate the cause and restore supply. Costa confirmed that he was in close contact with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Portuguese Prime Minister António Luís Santos da Costa Montenegro.

Nonetheless, Portuguese Minister for Territorial Cohesion Manuel Castro Almeida suggested earlier that a cyberattack could not be ruled out, noting that parts of France and Germany had also experienced brief disruptions. The Portuguese National Cyber Security Centre, however, later clarified that “no evidence has yet been identified that points to a cyberattack.”

In Lisbon and cities across northwestern Spain, businesses struggled to operate in the blackout. In Vigo, bars shuttered, markets emptied, and streets fell eerily silent as residents tried to navigate the situation.

Organizers of the Madrid Open tennis tournament posted on X that they were “working to restore normality as soon as possible” after scoreboards, cameras, and other electronic systems failed mid-match, forcing players, including American star Coco Gauff, to leave the court.

The Portuguese government has created a special working group to monitor the blackout and is investigating whether the source of the disruption originated outside the country, according to national news agency Lusa.

As of late afternoon, Red Eléctrica reported some gradual recovery of the power supply in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, but authorities warned that it would still take several hours before normal operations could resume across affected areas.

The cause of the massive failure remains under investigation.

Source: NBC