A massive power outage struck Spain, Portugal, and parts of France around midday on Monday, causing widespread disruptions across the Iberian Peninsula. The cause of the blackout remains unknown, and authorities have launched an urgent investigation.
According to Spanish daily El País, the outage has significantly disrupted travel, affecting airports, trains, metros, and traffic lights. Businesses have also been severely impacted, with reports confirming that some oil refineries have shut down operations.
Communication services have been compromised as well, with telephone networks reportedly collapsed, although 5G services continue to function intermittently. Spain’s National Institute for Cybersecurity is examining whether a potential cyberattack could be behind the disruption.
Portugal’s electricity network operator, REN, confirmed in a statement that the massive blackout began at 11:33 a.m. local time (10:33 GMT) and has affected the entire Iberian Peninsula as well as parts of French territory. Spain’s national electricity provider announced that efforts to restore power are underway. However, more than 40 minutes after the initial outage, large areas of Spain remain without electricity, and the situation continues to evolve.
