Spain remains without electricity for hours
On Monday afternoon, widespread power outages hit Spain and Portugal, causing significant disruptions across both nations. The power grid operator in Spain, Red Eléctrica, reported that power restoration measures have been initiated in various regions.
The cause of the outage is still under investigation, with the Spanish national cybersecurity agency INCIBE exploring the possibility of a cyberattack as a potential culprit. In the meantime, the full extent of the power outage and its impact on daily life are being assessed.
According to reports, major cities such as Madrid and Barcelona were affected. The Masters 1000 tennis tournament in Madrid was temporarily suspended due to the blackout. Meanwhile, Spain's rail company Renfe stated that trains halted at all stations across the country when the entire national power grid went down at midday local time.
Not all areas of Spain were affected, though. The Canary and Balearic Islands reportedly avoided the outage, as did France's southern regions. Meanwhile, Portugal experienced blackouts in regions stretching from north to south.
In a extremely brief outage, the Pyrenean microstate of Andorra reported only a few seconds of power interruption. This was reportedly due to an issue on the Spanish side, but power was quickly restored through an automatic reconnection to the French power line.
Investigations into the cause of the power outage are ongoing, with various factors such as grid instability, technical fluctuations, and lack of balancing power being considered. By the evening of the 28th, power had been restored to over half of the affected areas in Spain, though it took approximately 23 hours for the entire system to return to normal. Hospitals operated on backup generators, transportation services resumed gradually, and communication services were restored as power was restored.
As investigations continue, it's important to remain vigilant and stay informed about the latest updates on the situation.
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[1] "Spain, Portugal hit by massive power outage", Reuters (April 28, 2025)[2] "Portugal's power grid operator blames anomalies in Spanish lines for blackout", Radio Free Europe (April 28, 2025)[3] "Power restored across most of Spain after blackout", AP News (April 29, 2025)[4] "Widespread blackout hits Spain and Portugal", Deutsche Welle (April 28, 2025)
The power outage in Spain and Portugal, affecting industries and homes, could potentially impact the country's finance sector as businesses may face losses due to the blackout. The energy sector is also under scrutiny, as investigations reveal anomalies in the Spanish power lines as a contributing factor to the outage.
