The cause of the extensive blackouts affecting Spain and Portugal remains uncertain, as authorities continue to investigate the major disruption that struck the Iberian Peninsula. The widespread power loss, deemed one of Europe’s most severe, led to halted flights, crippled train networks, impeded mobile communications, and shut down ATMs on Monday.
As of 11 a.m. Tuesday, the electricity grid in Spain was reported to be back to normal by Red Eléctrica, the country’s power operator. Similarly, Portuguese grid operator REN confirmed that power had been restored to its 6.4 million customers. Despite this return to normalcy, the Spanish government has yet to explain the sudden loss of 15 gigawatts—a staggering 60% of the national demand—in just five seconds across its population of 49 million.
Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, emphasized the urgency of restoring the electricity framework and identifying the blackout’s cause to prevent future occurrences.
Spanish authorities are investigating the circumstances around five deaths that possibly correlate with the blackout. According to reports, three family members died in Galicia from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning due to a generator. In Valencia, a woman deceased after complications with an oxygen machine, while in Madrid, another died in a candle-induced fire.
Eduardo Prieto, in charge of system operations at Spain’s electricity operator, mentioned observing two successive “disconnection events” preceding the blackout. Further examination is needed, he asserted, to uncover the details. Spain’s meteorological service, AEMET, found no unusual weather or atmospheric conditions to account for the blackout, nor sudden temperature changes. Portugal’s cybersecurity officials and European Commission executive vice president Teresa Ribera have both discounted the likelihood of a cyberattack or sabotage being responsible.
Post-blackout, the Madrid Open tennis event resumed, having previously postponed 22 matches, with top-ranked player Iga Swiatek reaching the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, at train hubs like Madrid’s Atocha station, crowds gathered, eager to catch trains or amend travel plans. Hundreds endured the night at the station, aided by the Red Cross’s blankets. By late morning on Tuesday, Madrid’s subway services were restored fully; however, lingering disruptions in Barcelona saw some commuter trains suspended due to “electrical instability,” per Rodalies Catalunya’s updates.
Elsewhere in Spain, some train services faced suspensions or reduced operations. Emergency personnel revealed that around 35,000 passengers required rescue on Monday as they found themselves stranded along train routes. Transit systems bore the brunt of the blackout, turning sports complexes, train stations, and airports into emergency shelters.
For many, the experience was exhausting and chaotic. One individual, Rubén Carión, detailed his ordeal of being trapped on a commuter train near Madrid before making his way to the nearest station. He and a companion subsequently stayed the night at Atocha station, citing the experience in the chaos of the events as a humbling ordeal.