Spain and Portugal Plunge Into Crisis, Declare States of Emergency After Massive Blackout

Spain and Portugal are grappling with a major, mysterious blackout that disrupted traffic signals, created widespread chaos on roads and at airports, and led both nations to announce states of emergency.

Portugal’s grid operator, Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN), reported that electricity was cut off across the Iberian Peninsula and parts of France just after noon. Several hours later, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez admitted that officials were still uncertain about the cause of the blackout.

The power failure knocked out lights, disabled electrical outlets, and brought subway networks to an abrupt halt. In Madrid, traffic congestion quickly worsened as signals went dark.

"I was driving when, all of a sudden, the traffic lights went out... It felt like total chaos," Luis Ibáñez Jiménez told MBBReviews. "I saw a huge bus heading my way and had to quickly speed up to get past it."

Although the cause of the blackout remained a mystery, its impact was overwhelming: major transportation hubs were forced to shut down, and authorities in both countries — with a combined population of around 60 million — urgently convened emergency meetings to coordinate their response.

Spain’s Interior Ministry announced a state of emergency across the regions of Andalusia, Extremadura, Murcia, La Rioja, and Madrid. Following an emergency cabinet meeting held late into the night, Portugal’s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro declared an energy emergency, with the national grid operator cautioning that bringing the power supply back to normal would be a "challenging and complicated process."

By Monday evening, grid operators reported that energy supply was slowly returning to different areas across both Spain and Portugal. By early Tuesday morning, over 87% of Spain’s power had been restored, with all affected substations back online. Meanwhile, videos circulating on social media showed crowds in Portugal celebrating as electricity returned.

Earlier in the day, Madrid’s mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, urged residents to limit their movements and to contact emergency services only in cases of real necessity. He also appealed for roads to be kept clear for emergency crews. As the situation escalated, Madrid’s emergency services requested that the national government declare a state of emergency, while local leader Isabel Díaz Ayuso called for military assistance.

Antonio Costa — President of the European Council and former Prime Minister of Portugal — stated that although the exact reason for the blackout remained uncertain, there were “no signs” suggesting it was caused by a cyberattack.

Portugal’s prime minister pointed the finger at Spain for the power outage, stating that while his government had not yet determined the cause, the issue “did not originate in Portugal,” and “all evidence suggests” it began in Spain.

João Faria Conceição, head of REN, explained that Portugal was particularly impacted because it imports electricity from Spain in the morning, taking advantage of cheaper solar energy from Spanish plants, which operate one hour ahead of Portugal.

“We are on the periphery,” Conceição remarked during a press conference on Monday evening. While Spain received aid from both France and Morocco, Portugal had no other nation to turn to for emergency electricity supplies

Panic Engulfs Major Cities

Monday’s blackout struck a vast and bustling region of southern Europe, affecting numerous key cities such as Madrid, Lisbon, Barcelona, Seville, and Valencia, which are major centers for transport, finance, and tourism. According to EU data, Madrid and Barcelona ranked among the top five busiest airports in the European Union in 2023.

For several hours, daily life came to a halt: cash transactions replaced card payments, police officers directed traffic using hand signals, and businesses like restaurants, supermarkets, and retail stores shut down. In Madrid, firefighters conducted 174 “elevator rescues” throughout the city, as reported by the Emergency Information Office. Meanwhile, some shoppers rushed to stock up on essentials and canned goods.

Fortunately, the worst-case scenarios were largely avoided, at least in the initial hours of the power outage. Spain’s nuclear plants were confirmed to be operational and secure, while Portugal’s National Institute for Medical Emergencies reported that it had activated its backup systems, running phone lines and IT infrastructure on emergency generators. Spain’s health ministry implemented similar protocols in hospitals across the country.

Travel was severely disrupted. Flights at major airports across the region were abruptly delayed or canceled, leaving passengers scrambling to adjust. Flight tracking websites indicated that many airports saw a sudden halt in their usual flow of departures after midday. Portugal’s national airline, TAP Air Portugal, advised passengers to refrain from heading to the airport until further notice.

Confusion grips major cities

Monday’s blackout hit a huge and busy swathe of southern Europe. Dozens of Iberian cities, like Madrid, Lisbon, Barcelona, Seville and Valencia, are major hubs for transport, finance and tourism. Two of the five busiest airports in the European Union in 2023 were Madrid’s and Barcelona’s, according to EU data.

For a few hours, modern routines were suspended: cash replaced card payments, police officers used arm signals to direct traffic, and restaurants, supermarkets and stores closed their doors. Madrid’s firefighters carried out 174 “elevator interventions” across the city on Monday, its Emergency Information Office said, and some shoppers stocked up on essentials and canned goods.

The worst-case scenarios appeared to have been averted, at least in the first hours of the blackout. Spain’s nuclear sites were declared operational and safe, while Portugal’s National Institute for Medical Emergencies said it had “activated its contingency plan,” running its telephone and IT systems through a back-up generator. Spain’s health ministry said the same process happened in hospitals there.

Ellie Kenny, a traveler at Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport, described the chaotic scene, with hundreds of people waiting in the dark, without air conditioning or running water. She also noted that stores were only accepting cash, as reported to MBBReviews.

Train services in Spain were also halted, and subway stations were plunged into darkness. Social media videos showed subway cars stranded on platforms in Madrid, where the metro was suspended, and station entrances were sealed off with tape.

Sporting events were also disrupted. At the Madrid Open, tennis fans were forced to leave the courts after the power outage led to a suspension of play.

Some areas in southern France, close to the Spanish border, experienced a more limited impact.

Emilie Grandidie, a spokesperson for France's electricity transmission operator RTE, shared with MBBReviews that there was "a brief power outage" in the French Basque Country. "It only lasted a few minutes and was quickly restored," she said.

For several hours on Monday, tens of millions of people were left wondering when the power would be restored and what had caused the outage in the first place.

Both questions were difficult to answer. However, even after power is fully restored, it could take days to assess and repair the damage caused by Monday’s significant blackout.

Spain’s transportation minister announced that medium and long-distance train services would not resume until at least Tuesday, and the backlog of delayed flights could affect air travel throughout the week.