Massive power blackout paralyzes Spain, Portugal

A widespread power blackout plunged much of Spain and Portugal into chaos on Monday, crippling public transport systems, causing major traffic gridlocks, and severely disrupting air travel across the Iberian Peninsula.

The outage struck in the early afternoon, leaving millions without electricity and throwing daily life into disarray. Metro services ground to a halt in major cities including Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon, while traffic lights failed across urban centers, leading to large traffic jams that brought road networks to a near standstill.

Airports also reported significant delays, with flights postponed as terminals struggled with power and communication failures.

Authorities said the cause of the blackout remained unclear more than an hour after the grid collapse, although officials confirmed that a cyber attack had not been ruled out.

“At this stage, all possibilities are being examined,” a spokesperson for Spain’s Interior Ministry said. “Investigations are ongoing, and we are coordinating closely with European cybersecurity agencies.”

In Madrid, the government convened a crisis committee to coordinate the response and oversee efforts to stabilize the power grid, according to sources familiar with the matter. Portuguese officials reported similar emergency measures being put in place in Lisbon.

Utility operators across both countries were scrambling to restore electricity supplies. Spanish grid operator Red Eléctrica said teams were “working urgently” to identify the fault and resume service, but warned that rolling blackouts could persist into the evening.

Meanwhile, Portugal’s REN – Redes Energéticas Nacionais – said the blackout appeared to have originated outside its borders but was cascading through interconnected European systems.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of confusion as commuters abandoned stalled trains and emergency services struggled to manage the surge in traffic accidents.

“It was sudden — the metro stopped, and all the lights went out. Everyone was stuck underground,” said Laura Rodríguez, who was on her way to work in Barcelona when the blackout struck.

European energy authorities said they were monitoring the situation closely, amid growing concerns about the resilience of critical infrastructure across the continent.