Iberian Power Shock: Outage Brings Chaos to Spain and Portugal

A massive power outage across Spain and Portugal disrupted public transport and traffic, and delayed flights. Emergency meetings were held to address the crisis, affecting parts of France too. Efforts to restore power are underway while the cause is under investigation. The outage highlighted regional interdependencies in energy supply.

On Monday, a significant power outage swept across Spain and Portugal, bringing public transport to a halt, creating traffic gridlocks, and leading to flight delays. Utility operators in both countries are racing against time to restore the electricity grid.

In response, the Spanish and Portuguese governments conducted emergency cabinet meetings. The outage momentarily extended into parts of northeastern France. REN, Portugal's utility, confirmed widespread electricity cuts across the Iberian Peninsula and parts of France. Spanish grid operator Red Electrica is collaborating with regional energy firms on recovery efforts.

Amidst traffic chaos in Madrid due to non-functional traffic lights, emergency services were actively managing the situation. Key infrastructural points, including embassies, faced evacuations, and metro and train services were severely affected in major cities like Lisbon and Porto. Airports operated on backup power, causing significant travel disruptions.

(With inputs from agencies.)