On Monday, a massive blackout affected large areas of Spain and Portugal, causing chaos in public transportation, traffic, and telecommunications. Red Eléctrica, the electricity system operator in Spain, confirmed the interruption and indicated that it was a broader problem related to the European electrical system.
In collaboration with energy companies, emergency protocols were activated and all available resources were allocated to restore the power supply.
The power outage occurred around 12:30 PM (local time), affecting millions of people on the Iberian Peninsula, which has a combined population of over 50 million.
In Spain, several regions were left in the dark, including the Parliament headquarters in Madrid, RTVE studios, and metro stations. In the Spanish capital, some metro stations were evacuated, and traffic lights out of service caused traffic jams in the city center, according to broadcasters like Cadena Ser.
Regarding Portugal, E-Redes, the country's electricity distributor, also acknowledged the magnitude of the problem, indicating that it was necessary to cut the supply in certain areas to stabilize the grid.
The blackout affected both Lisbon and Porto, as well as regions in the north and south of the country. The metro in both cities stopped operating, trains were canceled, and traffic lights stopped working, increasing the risk on the streets.
The Portuguese police asked drivers to take precautions, advising them to reduce speed and avoid unnecessary travel. "Prioritize safety at the wheel: your calm saves lives," was part of the message conveyed to the public.
