Widespread Power Outage Strikes EU Nations
Spain and Portugal experienced a significant power outage on Monday around noon, severely impacting public transportation and causing flight delays. While the official cause of the blackout has not been concluded, an EU grid operator mentioned...
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Spain and Portugal experienced a significant power outage on Monday around noon, severely impacting public transportation and causing flight delays. While the official cause of the blackout has not been concluded, an EU grid operator mentioned a "rare atmospheric phenomenon" as a potential factor.
In response to the outage, the governments of both EU nations held emergency cabinet meetings, with some regions of France also experiencing brief disruptions.
Reports of blackouts emerged from several cities in Spain, including Seville, Barcelona, and Pamplona, with further disturbances noted in Valencia. In Madrid and Barcelona, metro services were halted, forcing passengers to evacuate trains and navigate along the tracks, as seen in various online videos. Additionally, communication lines were reported down throughout much of Spain, and Madrid’s main airport was left without electricity.
Witnesses, as reported by Reuters, described large groups of people waiting outside office buildings in Madrid, alongside a substantial police presence around key locations managing traffic and securing vital areas with flashlights.
A prominent tennis tournament in Madrid was suspended due to the blackout, while Spain’s Channel 6 continued to broadcast despite the dark conditions. Reports also indicated network failures in Portugal and parts of southern France.
Spain’s national grid operator stated that a “major incident” within the energy transmission system might have contributed to the blackout, with power companies assuring the public they were focused on restoring services promptly.
The Portuguese grid operator, Redes Energeticas Nacionais, noted that the “rare atmospheric phenomenon” in Spain, resulting from “extreme temperature variations,” could be linked to the severe blackout. REN highlighted that it was too early to predict the timeline for full restoration of power but confirmed that “all resources” were being mobilized to address the situation.
Isabel Diaz Ayuso, the president of Madrid’s regional government, urged Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to consider deploying the army if necessary, stating, “We ask the national government to activate Plan 3 so that the Army can maintain order, if necessary.”
In an emergency response, Sanchez visited the headquarters of Red Electrica, the national grid operator, as officials scrambled to resolve the power issues swiftly. During a press briefing, Red Electrica's CEO, Eduardo Prieto, indicated that the efforts to restore electricity could take “between six and ten hours.”
Teresa Ribera, Senior Vice-President of the European Commission, informed Spanish Radio 5 that there was currently no evidence suggesting that the blackout was the result of a deliberate act such as sabotage or a cyberattack.
Ian Smith for TROIB News
In response to the outage, the governments of both EU nations held emergency cabinet meetings, with some regions of France also experiencing brief disruptions.
Reports of blackouts emerged from several cities in Spain, including Seville, Barcelona, and Pamplona, with further disturbances noted in Valencia. In Madrid and Barcelona, metro services were halted, forcing passengers to evacuate trains and navigate along the tracks, as seen in various online videos. Additionally, communication lines were reported down throughout much of Spain, and Madrid’s main airport was left without electricity.
Witnesses, as reported by Reuters, described large groups of people waiting outside office buildings in Madrid, alongside a substantial police presence around key locations managing traffic and securing vital areas with flashlights.
A prominent tennis tournament in Madrid was suspended due to the blackout, while Spain’s Channel 6 continued to broadcast despite the dark conditions. Reports also indicated network failures in Portugal and parts of southern France.
Spain’s national grid operator stated that a “major incident” within the energy transmission system might have contributed to the blackout, with power companies assuring the public they were focused on restoring services promptly.
The Portuguese grid operator, Redes Energeticas Nacionais, noted that the “rare atmospheric phenomenon” in Spain, resulting from “extreme temperature variations,” could be linked to the severe blackout. REN highlighted that it was too early to predict the timeline for full restoration of power but confirmed that “all resources” were being mobilized to address the situation.
Isabel Diaz Ayuso, the president of Madrid’s regional government, urged Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to consider deploying the army if necessary, stating, “We ask the national government to activate Plan 3 so that the Army can maintain order, if necessary.”
In an emergency response, Sanchez visited the headquarters of Red Electrica, the national grid operator, as officials scrambled to resolve the power issues swiftly. During a press briefing, Red Electrica's CEO, Eduardo Prieto, indicated that the efforts to restore electricity could take “between six and ten hours.”
Teresa Ribera, Senior Vice-President of the European Commission, informed Spanish Radio 5 that there was currently no evidence suggesting that the blackout was the result of a deliberate act such as sabotage or a cyberattack.
Ian Smith for TROIB News
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