Latest news with #LuisIbáñezJiménez
Morocco World
28-04-2025
- Morocco World
Spain and Portugal Plunged into Darkness as Grid Collapses
A widespread power outage struck Spain and Portugal on Monday, paralyzing major cities, disrupting public transport and knocking out phone networks, traffic lights and ATMs. The blackout, described as rare for the Iberian Peninsula, has left millions without electricity across both countries, with limited impact also reported in southern France. According to the BBC, restoring power across Portugal could take up to a week. Some final remarks from Portugal's power firm REN (Rede Eletrica Nacional), which goes on to say that, 'due to the complexity of the phenomenon and the need to rebalance electricity flows internationally, it is estimated that full normalisation of the network could take up to a week'. Portugal blames the outage on a 'fault in Spain's electricity grid'. REN says this was related to a 'rare atmospheric phenomenon', but did not clarify what that means. Spain's Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, visited Red Eléctrica, the national electricity operator, to oversee restoration efforts. Additionally, the Portuguese cabinet convened an emergency meeting at the Prime Minister's residence. The exact number of people affected was not immediately clear, but is estimated to be around 60 million, taking into account Spain and Portugal's combined population. Transport Chaos Metro networks in Madrid, Lisbon and Barcelona were brought to a standstill, forcing passengers to evacuate stations. Traffic lights went dark, causing significant congestion, particularly in Madrid, where the city's mayor urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel. Spain's traffic department issued an alert warning motorists to drive cautiously, while in Portugal, additional police officers were deployed to manage traffic and assist people trapped in lifts. Flights at airports including Madrid-Barajas and Lisbon's Humberto Delgado have been delayed or canceled. Rail services across Spain were also suspended, leaving thousands stranded. 'I was driving and suddenly there were no traffic lights,' Madrid resident Luis Ibáñez Jiménez told CNN. 'It was a bit of a jungle.' Power grid strain Red Eléctrica said electricity demand plummeted at around 12:15 p.m. local time (10:15 a.m. GMT) from 27,500MW to near 15,000MW. Portugal's grid operator, REN, said the outage stemmed from an issue in the European electricity system, affecting parts of Spain, Portugal, and southern France. Spanish public broadcaster RTVE reported that the national parliament in Madrid, major newsrooms, and parts of the health sector were plunged into darkness. Hospitals switched to backup generators to maintain emergency services. In Lisbon, courts suspended operations and electronic payment systems failed, causing shops to only accept cash. Recovery underway Red Eléctrica said efforts to restore power were progressing by late afternoon, with electricity returning to parts of northern and southern Spain. However, full restoration could take 'six to 10 hours,' according to Eduardo Prieto, the grid's system operations director. Authorities warned that some areas could face outages into the night. Portugal's National Institute for Medical Emergencies activated its contingency plans, while Spain's emergency services are urging citizens to stay calm. The exact cause of the outage is under investigation, though early indications point to a distribution network failure, possibly originating in Spain. Tags: Electricity outagePortugalPower CutSpain
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Spain and Portugal hit by major power outage, halting trains and flights and wiping out traffic lights
A massive power outage has knocked out electricity across huge parts of Spain and Portugal, shutting off traffic lights and causing chaos at airports, train stations and on the roads. Portugal's grid operator Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN) said electrical supply was lost across the entire Iberian peninsula, and in parts of France, on Monday. It could be several hours until power is restored, Spain's grid operator said, meaning parts of the two countries could be plunged into darkness once the sun sets. The outage took out screens, lighting and power sockets throughout the region. Portugal's police force told people to avoid unnecessary journeys because traffic lights were failing. 'Reduce your speed and pay extra attention,' they said. 'Prioritise safe driving: your calmness saves lives.' In Madrid, traffic piled up on the roads after the lights went out. 'I was driving and suddenly there was no traffic lights… It was a bit of a jungle,' Luis Ibáñez Jiménez told CNN. 'I saw a massive bus coming, and I had to accelerate a lot to go past it.' The cause of the sudden blackout was unclear, but its impact was dramatic. Madrid's mayor José Luis Martinez Almeida asked people to minimize their movements and only call emergency services if it was truly urgent. He also called on people to stay clear of the roads for emergency workers. Later in the day, Madrid's emergency services provider urged the country's government to declare a national emergency. A race to restore power began in the moments after the collapse of the grid, but efforts could stretch into the night. 'The experience of other similar events that have taken place in other countries indicate to us that this process – the total reestablishment of the electrical supply – will take several hours, Eduardo Prieto, director of services for system operation at Red Eléctrica, told broadcaster La Sexta. 'We could be talking about six to 10 hours, if everything goes well, until we reestablish supply to every last customer,' he said. Around 60 million people live in Spain and Portugal, and Madrid and Lisbon are major hubs for transport, business and tourism. 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. But flights at major airports in the region were suddenly delayed or cancelled, with travelers scrambling to adapt; online flight trackers reported that several airports saw their frequent departures suddenly halted after midday. Portugal's flag carrier TAP Air Portugal told people not to travel to the airport until further notice. Ellie Kenny, a holidaymaker inside Lisbon's Humberto Delgado airport, said hundreds of people were stood in the dark in queues, with no air conditioning or running water. Shops were only accepting cash, she told CNN. Spanish train operator Renfe said trains had stopped and departures were canceled. And in subway tunnels, passengers were plunged into darkness. Video posted on social media showed blackened subway cars stuck in standstill on platforms in Madrid, where the metro was suspended and entrances to stations were taped off. Some parts of southern France, near the Spanish border, felt a more sporadic impact. Emilie Grandidie, a spokeswoman for France's electricity transmission operator RTE, told CNN there was 'a small power cut' in the French Basque Country; 'It lasted only a couple of minutes and was restored very quickly,' she said. This is a developing story and will be updated. CNN's Vasco Cotovio, Jack Guy, Kara Fox and Saskya Vandoorne contributed reporting
CNN
28-04-2025
- CNN
Spain and Portugal hit by major power outages, wiping out traffic lights and halting trains and flights
A massive power outage has knocked out electricity across parts of Spain and Portugal, shutting off traffic lights and causing chaos at airports, train stations and on the roads. Portugal's grid operator Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN) said electrical supply was lost across the entire Iberian peninsula, and in parts of France, late on Monday morning. Spanish power grid operator Red Electrica said it was working with energy companies to restore power. 'The causes are being analyzed and all resources are being dedicated to solving it,' it said. The outage took out screens, lighting and power sockets throughout the region; Portugal's police force told people to avoid unnecessary journeys because traffic lights were at risk of failing. 'Reduce your speed and pay extra attention,' they said. 'Prioritise safe driving: your calmness saves lives.' In Madrid, traffic piled up on the roads after the lights went out. 'I was driving and suddenly there was no traffic lights … It was a bit of a jungle,' Luis Ibáñez Jiménez told CNN. 'I saw a massive bus coming, and I had to accelerate a lot to go past it.' And Ellie Kenny, a holidaymaker inside Lisbon's Humberto Delgado airport, said hundreds of people were stood in the dark in queues, with no air conditioning or running water. Shops were only accepting cash, she told CNN. Spanish train operator Renfe said there was a power outage at a national level, causing trains to stop and departures to be canceled. And E-Redes, which provides electiricty to mainland Portugal, said in a statement it was working to re-establish connection. 'This is a wider European problem,' the company said in a statement, according to Reuters. This is a developing story and will be updated. CNN's Vasco Cotovio contributed reporting
Saudi Gazette
28-04-2025
- Saudi Gazette
Spain and Portugal hit by major power outages, halting trains and flights and wiping out traffic lights
MADRID — A massive power outage has knocked out electricity across parts of Spain and Portugal, shutting off traffic lights and causing chaos at airports, train stations and on the roads. Portugal's grid operator Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN) said electrical supply was lost across the entire Iberian peninsula, and in parts of France, late on Monday morning. Spanish power grid operator Red Electrica said it was working with energy companies to restore power. 'The causes are being analyzed and all resources are being dedicated to solving it,' it said. The outage took out screens, lighting and power sockets throughout the region; Portugal's police force told people to avoid unnecessary journeys because traffic lights were at risk of failing. 'Reduce your speed and pay extra attention,' they said. 'Prioritise safe driving: your calmness saves lives.' In Madrid, traffic piled up on the roads after the lights went out. 'I was driving and suddenly there was no traffic lights ... It was a bit of a jungle,' Luis Ibáñez Jiménez told CNN. 'I saw a massive bus coming, and I had to accelerate a lot to go past it.' And a holidaymaker inside Lisbon's Humberto Delgado airport said hundreds of people were stood in the dark in queues, with no air conditioning or running water. Shops were only accepting cash, she told CNN. Spanish train operator Renfe said there was a power outage at a national level, causing trains to stop and departures to be canceled. And E-Redes, which provides electiricty to mainland Portugal, said in a statement it was working to re-establish connection. 'This is a wider European problem,' the company said in a statement, according to Reuters. — CNN
