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Fox News
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Large parts of Spain, Portugal struck by massive power outage
A massive power outage hit Spain and Portugal on Monday, knocking out traffic lights, ATMs and phone lines and forcing the evacuation of subway systems in both countries, reports said. A graph on Spain's electricity network website showing demand across the country indicated a steep drop around 12:15 p.m. local time from 27,500 megawatts to near 15,000, according to the Associated Press. "It looks like it was a problem with the distribution network, apparently in Spain. It's still being ascertained," Portugal Cabinet Minister Leitão Amaro told national news agency Lusa. The exact cause of the outage remains unclear. The Portuguese National Cybersecurity Center issued a statement saying there was no sign the outage was due to a cyberattack. Video that aired on Spanish television showed people evacuating metro stations in Madrid and empty stations with trains stopped in Barcelona. Spain's parliament also was left in the dark, public broadcaster RTVE reported. The ATP Tour said play at the Madrid Open tennis tournament was suspended due to the power outage. In Portugal, several Lisbon subway cars were evacuated, courts stopped work and ATMs and electronic payment systems were affected. Traffic lights in Lisbon also stopped working. Both the Portuguese and Spanish governments convened emergency cabinet meetings to address the situation, according to Reuters. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also visited grid operator Red Eléctrica to follow efforts at restoring power. Eduardo Prieto, head of operations at Red Eléctrica, told journalists it was unprecedented, calling the event "exceptional and extraordinary." "We're beginning to recover power in the north and south of the peninsula, which is key to gradually meeting the electricity supply," Red Eléctrica wrote on X. "This process involves the gradual energization of the transmission grid as the generating units are connected." "The causes are being analyzed, and all resources are being dedicated to addressing the issue," it added.
Mint
28-04-2025
- Mint
Massive power outage cripples Spain, Portugal; European grid failure, fire in France likely causes
A widespread and unprecedented power outage hit Spain, Portugal, and parts of southern France on Monday (April 28) severely disrupting daily life of millions. The outage, which began around midday, left millions without electricity, affecting subway networks, phone lines, traffic lights, and ATMs. Officials are still investigating the cause of the blackout, with initial reports pointing to problems within the European electricity grid. The power failure left major cities, including Madrid and Lisbon, in darkness. Spain's public broadcaster RTVE reported that the outage began shortly after midday, causing widespread disruptions. Subway stations, Spain's parliament in Madrid, and many parts of the country were affected. A graph on Spain's electricity network website showed a sharp drop in demand, from 27,500MW to nearly 15,000MW around 12:15 pm local time. In Portugal, the capital Lisbon, along with northern and southern regions, experienced a total blackout. 'It looks like it was a problem with the distribution network, apparently in Spain,' said Portuguese Cabinet Minister Leitão Amaro in a statement. Power distributor E-Redes confirmed that the outage was linked to the European electricity system, which forced them to cut power in specific areas to stabilise the grid. The outage halted all trains across Spain, leaving passengers stranded, while subway systems in Madrid and Lisbon were also shut down. "The power cut halted trains across the entire country," Spain's railway operator Adif said. In Lisbon, subway cars were evacuated, and the disruption led to delays and cancellations at airports, including Madrid's Barajas International. Play at the Madrid Open tennis tournament was suspended due to the power cut, while television footage showed empty metro stations and trains stuck in tunnels. Spain's traffic department urged motorists to stay off the roads, as many traffic lights stopped working, causing significant congestion. As the blackout affected a combined population of over 50 million people, authorities worked quickly to restore power. Spanish electricity operator Red Eléctrica announced that power had been restored in parts of the north and south of the country. 'We are continuing to work to bring back power,' the company said, adding that full recovery could take between six and ten hours. In Portugal, backup systems at hospitals and emergency services were activated, while police were deployed to direct traffic. Portuguese authorities confirmed that gas stations were affected, as well as ATM and electronic payment systems. 'Several incidents' occurred at airports across Spain, with passengers stranded and disrupted services. The cause of the power outage remains unclear. Spanish grid operator Red Eléctrica has not speculated on the cause but acknowledged the event as 'exceptional and extraordinary.' Portuguese authorities suggested that the problem originated from the electricity distribution network in Spain. "It seems to be an issue with the European electricity system," a spokesperson for E-Redes said. Additionally, reports from France suggest a possible link to a fire in the south-west of France, near the Alaric mountain, which damaged a high-voltage power line between Perpignan and Narbonne. This has not been confirmed as the direct cause, but it is being considered as a contributing factor. Both the Spanish and Portuguese governments have held emergency sessions to monitor the situation. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited Red Eléctrica's headquarters for updates on recovery efforts. In Portugal, the Cabinet convened to assess the situation and coordinate the response. While the exact cause of the outage remains under investigation, authorities are working to restore full power across both countries. The blackout has also impacted parts of France, and reports indicate that citizens in Andorra and some areas of Belgium experienced outages. In the absence of electricity and mobile networks, many residents in Spain and Portugal turned to radios for news updates. 'People have been coming out into the streets holding their smartphones up, trying to connect to the network,' AFP reporters observed in Madrid and Barcelona. Meanwhile, industrial towns in Spain saw a surge in demand for generators as residents sought alternatives to cope with the ongoing power disruption. The National Authority for Emergencies and Civil Protection in Portugal confirmed that backup power systems were operational in critical services, but challenges continued as the country worked to restore full electricity to affected areas. (With inputs from AFP, AP) First Published: 28 Apr 2025, 07:31 PM IST
New Indian Express
28-04-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Major power outage reported in Spain and Portugal; Spanish distributor says restoration could take 6-10 hours
BARCELONA: A major power outage hit Spain and Portugal on Monday, including their capitals, knocking out subway networks, phone lines, traffic lights and ATM machines. Spanish power distributor Red Eléctrica said that restoring power to large parts of the country after a massive and unprecedented outage Monday that also hit Portugal could take 6-10 hours. The company declined to speculate on the causes of the blackout. The Portuguese National Cybersecurity Center issued a statement saying there was no sign the outage was due to a cyberattack. Eduardo Prieto, head of operations at Red Electrica, told journalists it was unprecedented, calling the event 'exceptional and extraordinary.' Authorities said the cause was not immediately known, though one Portuguese official said the problem appeared to be with the electricity distribution network in Spain. The countries have a combined population of over 50 million people. It was not immediately clear how many were affected. It is rare to have such a widespread outage across the Iberian Peninsula. A couple of hours later, Spain's electricity network operator said it was recovering power in the north and south of the peninsula, which would help to progressively restore the electricity supply nationwide. Portugal's government said the outage appeared to stem from problems outside the country, an official told national news agency Lusa. 'It looks like it was a problem with the distribution network, apparently in Spain. It's still being ascertained,' Cabinet Minister Leitão Amaro was quoted as saying. Portuguese distributor E-Redes said the outage was due to 'a problem with the European electricity system,' according to Portuguese newspaper Expresso. The company said it was compelled to cut power in specific areas to stabilize the network, according to Expresso. Spain's public broadcaster RTVE said a major power outage hit several regions of the country just after midday local time, leaving its newsroom, Spain's parliament in Madrid and subway stations across the country in the dark. A graph on Spain's electricity network website showing demand across the country indicated a steep drop around 12:15 p.m. from 27,500MW to near 15,000MW. Video aired on Spanish television showed people evacuating metro stations in Madrid and empty stations with trains stopped in Barcelona. Play at the Madrid Open tennis tournament was suspended. Three matches were underway when power went down. Spain's traffic department asked citizens to avoid using their cars as much as possible due to the power outage, which has affected traffic lights and electrical road signage. In Terrassa, an industrial town 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Barcelona, stores selling generators were out of stock after people lined up to buy them. Portugal's E-Redes said parts of France also were affected. In a country of some 10.6 million people, the outage hit the capital, Lisbon, and surrounding areas, as well as northern and southern parts. Portuguese police placed more officers on duty to direct traffic and cope with increased requests for help, including from people trapped in elevators. Portuguese hospitals and other emergency services switched to generators. Gas stations stopped working and trains stopped running. Portugal's National Authority for Emergencies and Civil Protection said backup power systems were operating. Several Lisbon subway cars were evacuated, reports said. Also in Portugal, courts stopped work and ATMs and electronic payment systems were affected. Traffic lights in Lisbon stopped working. It was not possible to make calls on mobile phone networks, though some apps were working.
Toronto Star
28-04-2025
- Business
- Toronto Star
Spanish power distributor says restoring power after huge outage could take 6-10 hours
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spanish power distributor Red Eléctrica says restoring power to large parts of the country after a massive outage that also hit Portugal could take 6-10 hours. The company declined to speculate on the causes of the blackout. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP's earlier story follows below. BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — A major power outage hit Spain and Portugal on Monday, including their capitals, knocking out subway networks, phone lines, traffic lights and ATM machines. Authorities said the cause was not immediately known, though one Portuguese official said the problem appeared to be with the electricity distribution network in Spain. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The Portuguese Cabinet convened an emergency meeting at the prime minister's residence, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited power distributor Red Eléctrica to follow efforts at restoring grid operations. The countries have a combined population of over 50 million people. It was not immediately clear how many were affected. It is rare to have such a widespread outage across the Iberian Peninsula. Red Eléctrica said the incident was being assessed. A couple of hours later, Spain's electricity network operator said it was recovering power in the north and south of the peninsula, which would help to progressively restore the electricity supply nationwide. Portugal's government said the outage appeared to stem from problems outside the country, an official told national news agency Lusa. 'It looks like it was a problem with the distribution network, apparently in Spain. It's still being ascertained,' Cabinet Minister Leitão Amaro was quoted as saying. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Portuguese distributor E-Redes said the outage was due to 'a problem with the European electricity system,' according to Portuguese newspaper Expresso. The company said it was compelled to cut power in specific areas to stabilize the network, according to Expresso. Spain's public broadcaster RTVE said a major power outage hit several regions of the country just after midday local time, leaving its newsroom, Spain's parliament in Madrid and subway stations across the country in the dark. A graph on Spain's electricity network website showing demand across the country indicated a steep drop around 12:15 p.m. from 27,500MW to near 15,000MW. Video aired on Spanish television showed people evacuating metro stations in Madrid and empty stations with trains stopped in Barcelona. Spain's traffic department is asking citizens to avoid using their cars as much as possible due to the power outage, which has affected traffic lights and electrical road signage. In Terrassa, an industrial town 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Barcelona, stores selling generators were out of stock after people lined up to buy them. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Portugal's E-Redes said parts of France also were affected. In Portugal, a country of some 10.6 million people, the outage hit the capital, Lisbon, and surrounding areas, as well as northern and southern parts of the country. Portuguese police placed more officers on duty to direct traffic and cope with increased requests for help, including from people trapped in elevators. Portuguese hospitals and other emergency services switched to generators. Gas stations stopped working and trains stopped running. Portugal's National Authority for Emergencies and Civil Protection said backup power systems were operating. Several Lisbon subway cars were evacuated, reports said. Also in Portugal, courts stopped work and ATMs and electronic payment systems were affected. Traffic lights in Lisbon stopped working. It was not possible to make calls on mobile phone networks, though some apps were working. ___ Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal.
Arab Times
28-04-2025
- Business
- Arab Times
Major power outage reported in Spain and Portugal, including their capitals
BARCELONA, Spain, April 28, (AP): A major power outage hit Spain and Portugal on Monday, including their capitals, knocking out subway networks, phone lines, traffic lights and ATM machines. Authorities said the cause was not immediately known, though one Portuguese official said the problem appeared to be with the electricity distribution network in Spain. The Portuguese Cabinet convened an emergency meeting at the prime minister's residence, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited power distributor Red Eléctrica to follow efforts at restoring grid operations. The countries have a combined population of over 50 million people. It was not immediately clear how many were affected. It is rare to have such a widespread outage across the Iberian Peninsula. Red Eléctrica said the incident was being assessed. A couple of hours later, Spain's electricity network operator said it was recovering power in the north and south of the peninsula, which would help to progressively restore the electricity supply nationwide. Portugal's government said the outage appeared to stem from problems outside the country, an official told national news agency Lusa. "It looks like it was a problem with the distribution network, apparently in Spain. It's still being ascertained,' Cabinet Minister Leitão Amaro was quoted as saying. Portuguese distributor E-Redes said the outage was due to "a problem with the European electricity system,' according to Portuguese newspaper Expresso. The company said it was compelled to cut power in specific areas to stabilize the network, according to Expresso. Spain's public broadcaster RTVE said a major power outage hit several regions of the country just after midday local time, leaving its newsroom, Spain's parliament in Madrid and subway stations across the country in the dark. A graph on Spain's electricity network website showing demand across the country indicated a steep drop around 12:15 p.m. from 27,500MW to near 15,000MW. Video aired on Spanish television showed people evacuating metro stations in Madrid and empty stations with trains stopped in Barcelona. Spain's traffic department is asking citizens to avoid using their cars as much as possible due to the power outage, which has affected traffic lights and electrical road signage. In Terrassa, an industrial town 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Barcelona, stores selling generators were out of stock after people lined up to buy them. Portugal's E-Redes said parts of France also were affected.
