28 April 2025 — A major power outage hit large parts of Spain und Portugal on Monday, leaving millions without electricity and causing widespread disruption. Some areas of France und Andorra were also briefly affected.
The blackout impacted critical infrastructure: airports in Madrid und Lisbon were closed, metros in Lisbon und Porto shut down, and traffic lights in major cities went dark. Shops, restaurants, and mobile networks were left without service. The Madrid Open tennis tournament was halted mid-match.
José Luis Martínez-Almeida, the mayor of Madrid, urged residents to stay indoors and limit emergency calls to critical situations only. Long queues were reported at cash points in Lisbon as card payment systems failed.
Red Eléctrica, Spain’s grid operator, stated that Strom restoration could take six to ten hours, and recovery efforts are ongoing. Early reports suggest the outage may be linked to a fire damaging a high-voltage line in southern France, but investigations continue. Experts have not ruled out possibilities like a system fault or cyberattack.
Die European Commission confirmed it is coordinating with national authorities and the ENTSO-E grid network to address the issue.
Authorities urge citizens to stay informed through radio updates as mobile networks remain unstable.