Spain Faces Unprecedented Blackout: Prime Minister Sánchez Speaks on Recovery Efforts
Spain's Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, announced that everything possible is being done to restore power to all regions of the country following an unprecedented blackout that affected tens of millions on the Iberian Peninsula. Speaking late Monday night, Sánchez reported that efforts were being made to resume power by Tuesday, with half of the national electricity supply already back online in recent hours.
The blackout was attributed to extreme temperature variations, which the Portuguese power operator indicated caused widespread disruptions. In the affected areas, people found themselves without trains, metros, traffic lights, ATMs, phone connections, and internet access. Many were trapped in elevators, stalled on trains, stuck in traffic, or left abandoned in airports. Hundreds of individuals were seen navigating pitch-black metro tunnels using phone torches, while others sought essentials in supermarkets that could only accept cash.
Mobile networks and internet access collapsed at 12:33 PM local time, leading hospitals to postpone routine operations while relying on generators for critical cases. Although some electronic banking functions continued on backup systems, most ATMs were non-operational. Rail services across the Iberian Peninsula halted, air traffic was disrupted, and traffic lights were out, resulting in chaos on the streets. Hundreds were rescued from stuck elevators as Madrid's Mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, advised residents to minimize their travel to ensure emergency services could operate effectively.
Sánchez indicated it was too soon to determine the precise cause of the power cut but noted that an investigation was ongoing. The event was unprecedented, with the national grid operator, Red Eléctrica, stating that they have never seen a total system drop to zero. As of 10 PM on Monday, 62 of Spain's substations were back online, accounting for about 62% of demand met, while Portugal's grid operator, REN, reported 85% restoration of its substations.
The cause of the blackout is believed to be a rare atmospheric phenomenon described by REN. This phenomenon, characterized by extreme temperature variations, may have caused synchronization failures between electrical systems, leading to cascading disturbances across the interconnected European network.
Widespread outages in Europe are unusual. Previous incidents include a 2003 blackout triggered by a hydroelectric power line issue in Italy and a 2006 incident in Germany that resulted in outages in several countries. In response to the power crisis, Sánchez thanked both France and Morocco for providing extra electricity and indicated that gas and hydroelectric power would help mitigate the current shortfall.
Sánchez stated that additional national police and Guardia Civil officers were deployed nationwide for public safety, while healthcare workers managed the functioning of hospitals thanks to backup systems. Telecommunications services remained affected by the power issues, particularly for antennae supplying mobile networks.
On Monday, 6,000 flights were scheduled in Spain, with only 344 canceled, while road networks operated reasonably well save for some congestion. The most significant disruptions appeared in the rail sector, where some 35,000 passengers were stranded on over 100 trains. Eleven trains in remote areas were still awaiting assistance.
As traffic lights remained offline, the Spanish National Road Authority urged motorists to restrict unnecessary driving. Reports emerged of people navigating darkened metro tunnels and police managing traffic in the streets with the aid of flashlights. The health ministry confirmed it was working closely with regional authorities to gauge the blackout's impact but reassured the public about hospitals being equipped with standby systems.
In Portugal, the outage affected Lisbon and surrounding areas, as well as regions across the northern and southern parts of the country. Customers experienced ATM and electronic payment failures, leading to rapid purchases of bottled water and emergency supplies such as gas lights and battery-powered radios.
Sánchez disclosed that eight out of Spain’s 17 autonomous regions—Andalucía, Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, and Valencia—had declared level 3 emergencies, enabling central government oversight for recovery efforts. Schools in the affected areas were expected to remain open, but regular classes would not occur. By Monday night, the situation remained inconsistent, with certain regions having restored over 90% of their power, while others still faced significant outages.
Sánchez urged non-essential workers to remain home if needed, affirming that while the recovery would take time, efforts would continue until normalcy is restored.
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