Photos show the impact of a massive blackout across Spain, Portugal, and parts of France
A metro station in Madrid plunged into the dark on Monday.
Millions in Spain, Portugal, and parts of France were hit by a massive power outage on Monday.
The blackout, which hit most of the Iberian Peninsula, was first reported around lunchtime local time.
In an X post, Spain’s grid operator, Red Eléctrica, said the causes of the blackout were being analyzed, and all resources are being dedicated to solving them.
In a follow-up post around 5 p.m. local time, Red Eléctrica said that electricity is returning to parts of the region, including Catalonia, Aragon, the Basque Country, Galicia, Asturias, Navarre, Castile and Leon, Extremadura, and Andalusia.
The operator estimated it would take six to 10 hours to restore the entire power, per the Spanish news agency EFE.
Eduardo Prieto, Red Eléctrica’s Director of Services for System Operations, described the incident to reporters as “absolutely exceptional and extraordinary.”
He said the blackout was likely caused by a “very strong oscillation in the electrical network” that caused Spain’s power system to “disconnect from the European system, and the collapse of the Iberian electricity network at 12:38 p.m.”
Meanwhile, Spain’s National Cybersecurity Institute is investigating whether the blackout could have been caused by a cyberattack, according to local media reports.
The French regional newspaper L’Indépendant reported isolated power outages in southern French cities, including Perpignan.
The blackout halted operations at train stations, airports, businesses, and major buildings across affected areas.
In Barcelona, shoppers visited grocery stores in the dark
Customers faced with powerless food stands in Barcelona on Monday.
Diners ate by candlelight at a restaurant in Burgos, Spain
A restaurant in Spain brought out candles and small lights for customers.
The metro system in Spain’s capital Madrid was shut down and evacuated after the outage began
A metro station in Madrid in the dark during a widespread power outage in Spain on Monday.
Play was halted at the Madrid Open, one of the highlights of the clay court tennis season
The empty tennis court on day seven of the Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament on Monday.
With little prospect of any more play, fans were sent away from the venue in Manzanares Park
Fans walked through the dark gangways during a general power blackout at the Mutua Madrid Open tennis game in Madrid on Monday.
Fans streamed out of the exits into sunny, 70 degrees Fahrenheit weather
Fans walked through the dark gangways during a general power blackout at the Mutua Madrid Open tennis game in Madrid on Monday.
Commuters waited in the shade after a Madrid train station closed
People wait outside a Madrid train station after its closure on Monday.
People gathered in the street after leaving metro stations in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon
People at a bus stop on the street after exiting a Lisbon metro station on Monday.
Some in Lisbon also queued at ATMs to withdraw cash
People queued for the ATM in downtown Lisbon on Monday.
Trains were brought to a standstill, with passengers stranded near Cordoba, Spain
Passengers sit near a railway embankment after their train stopped during the mass power cut in Spain.
Substantial traffic jams were seen in Madrid
Vehicles queued on the M30 ring road in Madrid on Monday.
