28.04.2025 17:51
The power outage in Spain, Belgium, France, Andorra, and Portugal brought life to a standstill in these five countries. Subways were evacuated, and surgeries were halted. The Portuguese electricity distribution company REN, which made a statement regarding the outage, said, "The power outage may last for a week."
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The news from Europe has caused an earthquake effect. Spain's electricity grid operator Red Electrica announced on Monday that there were unexplained power outages in a large part of Spain, Belgium, France, Andorra, and Portugal. While chaos ensued in these countries, subways were evacuated, and traffic came to a halt due to non-functioning traffic lights. Surgeries were also paused, and the latest statement has further increased concerns.
PORTUGUESE COMPANY: SUDDEN TEMPERATURE CHANGES CAUSED THE OUTAGE
The national electricity grid operator of Portugal, REN (Rede Elétrica Nacional), made a statement regarding the cause of the widespread power outages in the country. The statement emphasized that rare weather events caused the outages, stating that "the sudden and severe temperature changes experienced in the interior regions of Spain led to abnormal fluctuations known as 'atmospheric vibrations' in the 400 KV high voltage lines."
POWER OUTAGE MAY LAST 1 WEEK
REN announced that full normalization could take a week. Spanish authorities have not yet made an official statement regarding REN's claim.
ENERGY COMPANIES MOBILIZED
After the power outage affected all 5 countries, energy companies mobilized to restore the electricity flow.
MAJOR CHAOS IN TRAFFIC
The power outages caused subways in metropolitan areas to be evacuated and led to traffic congestion. Due to non-functioning traffic lights, vehicle queues formed on the streets.
CYBER ATTACK POSSIBILITY UNDER INVESTIGATION
The government is investigating the supply shortage with various technical teams from different ministries. The National Cyber Security Institute (INCIBE) is also conducting research on the possibility of the outage being a cyber attack. They have not yet reached a conclusion.
The National Cyber Security Institute (INCIBE) is also conducting research on the possibility of the outage being a cyber attack. They have not yet reached a conclusion. The power outages in the Iberian Peninsula affected communication systems, internet networks, airports, and high-speed transportation networks in both Spain and Portugal.
SPANISH PRIME MINISTER MONITORING DEVELOPMENTS
Following the national power outage in Spain, the country’s administration took action. According to a report by Spanish radio Cadena SER, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Energy headed to the national electricity operator Red Eléctrica to monitor the developments on-site. Official sources in Portugal stated to local media that the outage was nationwide, while similar reports are coming from Spain. Madrid's Barajas international airport was left without electricity, and telecommunications were also affected. The Spanish government decided to hold an emergency meeting following the nationwide power outage.
Citizens in the border regions of Andorra and France also reported being affected by the power outage. The cause is still unclear. However, local media reports that there are issues in the European electricity grid affecting the national grids in the Iberian Peninsula.
TOURNAMENT CANCELLED
Due to the power outage, the Madrid Open Tennis Tournament scheduled in Madrid has been postponed. Spain's national railway company Renfe announced that the power outage in the country began at 12:30 local time and that 'trains have stopped.' The company also stated that no trains could depart from any station.
IS THE CAUSE A FIRE?
According to a report by Euronews, a fire that broke out in the Alaric mountain in southwestern France, between Perpignan and eastern Narbonne, is thought to be a possible reason for the damage to the high voltage line in the area.
GRADUAL RECOVERY EXPECTED
According to the latest statement from the Spanish electricity grid operator Red Electrica, electricity supply in northern and southern Spain has begun to return to normal. The company stated that electricity supply will be restored 'gradually.'
SECURITY FORCES ON THE STREETS IN SPAIN
According to a report by El Pais, the Spanish government has launched an investigation into the outages, and security forces have been deployed to the streets of Madrid. It has been reported that Prime Minister Sanchez will convene a crisis desk with the relevant ministers in his cabinet. Isabel Diaz Ayuso, the head of the Madrid autonomous government, has requested the Spanish government to activate the Level 3 Emergency Plan to ensure that the army can guarantee order.
NON-URGENT SURGERIES SUSPENDED IN HOSPITALS
The Spanish Ministry of Health announced via its X account that they are in communication with regional authorities and investigating the scope of the power outage.
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The explanation shared that hospitals have additional systems in place to provide services. Following the power outage, non-urgent activities were suspended in hospitals in Spain to ensure basic care.
CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS STOPPED
Images from Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, showed that a metro station was closed. As card payments stopped in Lisbon, queues formed at ATMs. Local residents reported that trains were not operating. It was also reported that Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon was closed to flights due to the power outage. The Portuguese airline "TAP Airlines" warned against going to airports until further notice.
Citizens in some regions of France near the Andorra and Spain border also reported being affected by the power outage. According to the latest information, further outages were reported as far as Belgium. According to reports based on a statement from the Spanish electricity distributor REE, the southern part of France was also affected by the widespread power outage. Reports based on statements from REN indicated that the outage in France occurred at points connected to the Spanish electricity grid. No official statement has yet been made by the French electricity distribution company EDF regarding the outages.
A WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGE OCCURRED IN EUROPE IN 2006
On November 4, 2006, major power outages occurred in countries such as France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain, and Portugal, starting from France. The incident affected more than 15 million people, causing significant disruptions in transportation, industry, and daily life, with electricity unavailable for approximately 2 hours. Operations at airports were disrupted due to the outages, traffic lights failed, and electric trains stopped.
In a statement from the Council of Europe, the reasons for the power outage included the inadequacy of security procedures and technical tools, the lack of notification to other European transmission operators, and insufficient investments in grid reliability and operation.