WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A COUNTRY HAS A POWER OUTAGE

On Monday, April 28th, 2025, a massive power outage swept across Spain and Portugal, leaving tens of millions in the dark and causing widespread disruption. What began around 12:30 PM local time quickly escalated into a crisis affecting essential services and daily life across the Iberian Peninsula. While power is now reported to be over 99% restored in Portugal and significant progress has been made in Spain, the immediate aftermath and the ongoing investigations into the cause highlight the fragility of modern infrastructure. 

Immediate Impacts: 

• Transportation Chaos: The blackout brought transportation networks to a standstill. Metro systems in major cities like Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon were shut down, leaving commuters stranded, some even trapped on trains. National rail services in Spain were entirely halted, impacting countless travellers. Airports, including major hubs like Madrid-Barajas and Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado, faced significant delays and cancellations, with hundreds of flights affected. Even road travel was perilous as traffic lights ceased functioning, leading to gridlock and requiring civilian intervention in some areas to direct traffic. 

• Communication Breakdown: The power outage didn’t just affect electricity; it also impacted communication networks. Internet traffic in Portugal reportedly dropped by half, and mobile phone services experienced significant disruptions in both countries. This hampered communication efforts and access to vital information during the crisis. 

• Economic Disruption: Businesses across the affected regions faced considerable challenges. Retail operations were hampered as card payment systems and ATMs went offline, forcing reliance on cash transactions, if possible at all. Some businesses were forced to close entirely. The Madrid Open tennis tournament was suspended for the day due to the power loss affecting scoreboards and cameras, highlighting the widespread impact on various sectors. 

• Essential Services Under Strain: Hospitals in Madrid and Catalonia had to suspend routine medical work, relying on backup generators to attend to critical patients. Water supply was also affected in some areas due to the reliance on electric-powered pumping systems. Lifts in buildings became non-operational, posing risks, particularly for the elderly and those with mobility issues. 

• Daily Life Disrupted: Beyond the major infrastructure issues, the outage profoundly impacted daily life. Homes and businesses were plunged into darkness, affecting lighting, heating, and air conditioning. Basic tasks became difficult, and many residents faced uncertainty and anxiety. In Lisbon, reports emerged of people rushing to grocery stores to stock up on essential supplies like water and non-perishable food. 

The Cause: A Mystery Under Investigation 

The exact cause of this extensive blackout remains unclear. Initial reports from Portugal’s grid operator, REN, pointed to a “very large oscillation in the electrical voltages, first in the Spanish system, which then spread to the Portuguese system.” REN further suggested that “extreme temperature variations in Spain” might have caused “anomalous oscillations” in high-voltage lines, a phenomenon known as “induced atmospheric variation.”    

Spanish authorities have echoed the notion of a “strong oscillation” in the European grid but have refrained from definitive conclusions, emphasizing the ongoing investigation. Both Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Portuguese officials have stated that there is no indication of a cyberattack being the cause. 

Looking Ahead: 

While the immediate crisis appears to be subsiding with the restoration of power to the vast majority of affected areas, the incident raises critical questions about the resilience of interconnected energy grids. Portugal’s grid operator initially warned that it could take up to a week for the network to fully normalize, indicating the complexity of the issue. 

This widespread blackout serves as a stark reminder of our reliance on stable power infrastructure and the potential for significant disruption when it fails. The ongoing investigation into the root cause will be crucial in understanding what happened and implementing measures to prevent similar incidents in the future, both in the Iberian Peninsula and across interconnected European energy systems. 

What are the lessons here? Most importantly, it is a stark reminder not to rely 100% on the infrastructure around you. Always carry some cash with you and have a backup old fashioned analogue radio which can be powered with batteries.