Spain and Portugal in chaos after widespread power cuts

Officials rule out cyber attack and blame 'rare atmospheric phenomenon'

A police officer directs drivers in Madrid while the traffic lights are off during a power cut across the Iberian Peninsula. AFP

Restoring electricity to large parts of the Spanish power grid after a huge and unprecedented power outage on Monday that also hit Portugal could take six to 10 hours, Spanish power distributor Red Electrica said.

The Portuguese Cabinet convened an emergency meeting at the prime minister’s residence, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited power distributor Red Electrica to follow efforts at restoring grid operations.

Eduardo Prieto, head of operations at Red Electrica, said the event was “exceptional and extraordinary”.

The company declined to speculate on the causes of the blackout. The Portuguese National Cybersecurity Centre said there was no sign the power cut was due to a cyber attack and blamed a "rare atmospheric phenomenon".

The power outage hit across Spain and Portugal, including their capitals. In some regions, trains were evacuated, traffic lights were out, and shops and restaurants were plunged into darkness. The internet was also affected and mobile phone networks were reportedly down in Spain as well as ATMs.

Residents stand outside a restaurant during a massive power cut in Vigo, north-western Spain. AFP

A resident in Lisbon told The National that “electric doors don’t open. People are stuck in their offices. Internet is also very on and off. Can barely send WhatsApp messages and can’t check the news”.

Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE said the power cut hit several regions of the country just after midday local time, leaving its newsroom and Spain’s parliament in Madrid in the dark.

In Madrid – the capital of Spain – Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida has warned residents to stay put, while airline TAP Air in Portugal has told passengers not to travel to airports until further notice.

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 under way when power went down.

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 more than 50 million people. It was not immediately clear how many were affected. It is rare to have such a widespread power cut across the Iberian Peninsula.

People queue at a bus stop at Rossio square, after the Lisbon subway stopped working during a massive power cut. AFP

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 power cut 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 power cut 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 stabilise the network, according to Expresso.

Spain’s traffic department asked citizens to avoid using their cars as much as possible due to the power cut, which has affected traffic lights and electrical road signage.

In Terrassa, an industrial town 50km 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 about 10.6 million people, the power cut 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. Petrol stations stopped working and trains stopped running.

Portugal’s National Authority for Emergencies and Civil Protection said backup power systems were operating.