A significant power outage impacted Spain, Portugal, and parts of France on Monday, causing widespread disruptions. The blackout left millions without electricity, crippling essential services including transportation, airports, and hospitals. Authorities attributed the outage to a problem in the European electricity grid, but the exact cause remains uncertain.
Affected regions in Spain spanned from Catalonia to Andalusia and included cities like Murcia, where traffic lights failed and public transport ground to a halt. Likewise, Portugal experienced significant power failures, prompting local schools and banks to shut down. Reports indicate that hospitals relied on backup generators to maintain operations.
In addition to transportation issues, cultural events were also impacted. The ATP Tour announced a suspension of matches at the Madrid Open tennis tournament during the power loss. Spain's national power company, Red Eléctrica, stated they had restored electricity in some areas quickly, but many citizens felt the effects throughout the day, with isolated pockets still experiencing outages.
Portugal's energy supplier E-Redes confirmed that the outage was felt in regions of France, particularly along the Basque Coast and in Burgundy. While Portuguese officials confirmed no signs of a cyberattack, transport across the region was significantly hampered. Renfe, Spain's national rail service, halted all services after the interruption of the national electricity grid around 12:30 PM.
As cities grappled with the ongoing blackout, businesses and public buildings closed, and ATMs faced long lines due to cash shortages. Remarkably, in some areas, indoor activities such as flamenco classes continued unaffected amidst the chaos, as sunlight streamed through the windows.
EasyJet issued a warning to passengers aboard flights to Spain, advising of severe delays resulting from the airport infrastructure failures. As authorities work to resolve the issue, the situation remains fluid, and updates are anticipated as the story develops.
Affected regions in Spain spanned from Catalonia to Andalusia and included cities like Murcia, where traffic lights failed and public transport ground to a halt. Likewise, Portugal experienced significant power failures, prompting local schools and banks to shut down. Reports indicate that hospitals relied on backup generators to maintain operations.
In addition to transportation issues, cultural events were also impacted. The ATP Tour announced a suspension of matches at the Madrid Open tennis tournament during the power loss. Spain's national power company, Red Eléctrica, stated they had restored electricity in some areas quickly, but many citizens felt the effects throughout the day, with isolated pockets still experiencing outages.
Portugal's energy supplier E-Redes confirmed that the outage was felt in regions of France, particularly along the Basque Coast and in Burgundy. While Portuguese officials confirmed no signs of a cyberattack, transport across the region was significantly hampered. Renfe, Spain's national rail service, halted all services after the interruption of the national electricity grid around 12:30 PM.
As cities grappled with the ongoing blackout, businesses and public buildings closed, and ATMs faced long lines due to cash shortages. Remarkably, in some areas, indoor activities such as flamenco classes continued unaffected amidst the chaos, as sunlight streamed through the windows.
EasyJet issued a warning to passengers aboard flights to Spain, advising of severe delays resulting from the airport infrastructure failures. As authorities work to resolve the issue, the situation remains fluid, and updates are anticipated as the story develops.
