Spain and Portugal hit by major power outages, halting trains and flights and wiping out traffic lights

A major power outage struck parts of Spain and Portugal late Monday morning, cutting electricity across the Iberian Peninsula and parts of France. Traffic lights, airports, train stations, and public services ground to a halt, creating widespread disruption.

Portugal’s grid operator, Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN), confirmed the loss of electrical supply. Spanish grid operator Red Eléctrica also reported outages and said they were collaborating with energy companies to restore service.
"The causes are being analyzed and all resources are being dedicated to solving it," Red Eléctrica said in a statement.

The blackout affected vital infrastructure. Screens, lighting, and power sockets failed across the region. Portugal’s police issued a warning to drivers to minimize travel due to inoperative traffic signals.
"Reduce your speed and pay extra attention," police urged. "Prioritize safe driving: your calmness saves lives."

In Madrid, the outage triggered heavy traffic congestion. Drivers navigated intersections without the guidance of traffic lights.
"I was driving and suddenly there were no traffic lights. It was a bit of a jungle," said Luis Ibáñez Jiménez to CNN. "I saw a massive bus coming, and I had to accelerate a lot to go past it."

Events and public spaces were also severely affected. The Madrid Open tennis tournament suspended matches for the day. Fans, unable to see in the dark, left the venue amid confusion.

Airports faced chaos as well. Ellie Kenny, a holidaymaker at Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport, described grim scenes.
"Hundreds of people were stood in the dark in queues, with no air conditioning or running water," Kenny told CNN. Shops at the airport operated on a cash-only basis, unable to process card payments.

Spain’s national train operator, Renfe, reported widespread service interruptions. Trains stopped mid-journey, and multiple departures were canceled. The disruption was so significant that Spanish media called it one of the largest outages in recent memory.

Electricity provider E-Redes, serving mainland Portugal, issued an update stating efforts were underway to restore the network.
"This is a wider European problem," E-Redes said, according to Reuters.

Energy experts suggest that a technical failure or a major grid issue could have caused the cascading blackout. Cross-border energy supply among Spain, Portugal, and France often relies on interconnected systems, making them vulnerable to shared failures.

By Monday afternoon, partial service restoration began in some areas. Authorities continued working to understand the full scope of the problem and to ensure that essential services returned first.