The Iberian Peninsula's Sudden Power Plunge

A sudden power outage struck large areas of Spain and Portugal on a Monday, creating a scene of disorder and inconvenience. Millions of folks found themselves without electricity, and communication networks went down. Trains were either canceled or evacuated, traffic lights failed, and airports faced delays. By mid-afternoon, the electricity network in Spain estimated that it could take hours to restore power. The cause of the disruption remained a mystery, but officials ruled out a cyber attack. The first signs of the outage appeared around midday. As the situation worsened, residents of Madrid were advised to stay indoors, avoid roads, and only contact emergency services if absolutely necessary. The restoration process was expected to take up to 10 hours in Spain, while Portugal anticipated it could take up to a week to fully recover. In the chaos, people rushed to cash machines, but card payments were affected. Some petrol stations closed, and hospitals activated emergency plans, halting routine activities. By early evening, power started to return to some areas. The Spanish grid operator reported that electricity was being restored in various parts of the north, south, and west of the peninsula. The cause of the power cuts remained unclear. Authorities in both countries were investigating, with no signs of a cyber attack. As panic spread, Madrid's mayor urged residents to stay put and keep roads clear. Emergency services were overwhelmed, so people were advised to go to police and fire stations in person if they needed help. The impact was widespread. Nuclear power plants shut down automatically, and oil refineries halted operations. Flights were delayed or canceled, affecting airports in Lisbon and Madrid. Businesses struggled, with some Ikea stores switching to backup generators. The Madrid Open Tennis event was canceled for the day. Andorra and parts of France also experienced outages, but the Balearic and Canary Islands were unaffected.