On April 28, 2025, a large-area blackout hit the Iberian Peninsula and southwest France. This blackout led to a huge toll on routine daily life in those communities. The Portuguese electricity network operator REN confirmed that the outage affected millions across Spain, Portugal, and adjoining regions in France and Germany. With a collective population of nearly 50 million, the effects were wide-reaching, closing airports, stores and businesses.
The blackout started just after midday local time, or 6 a.m. ET, reported Spain’s public service broadcaster RTVE. Major cities such as Madrid and Lisbon felt the impact right away—streets lights going out, subway systems shutting down. In Madrid, even the Spanish parliament building lost power, forcing quick action from local officials.
José Luis MartÃnez-Almeida, mayor of Madrid, went on record encouraging residents to avoid walking, salir solo lo que sea necesario Public domain.
“I ask all residents of Madrid to keep their movements to an absolute minimum and, if at all possible, to remain where they are. We want to keep all roads clear,” – José Luis MartÃnez-Almeida.
The power outage affected the ATP and WTA Madrid Open tennis tournament that was going on at the same time. Some players were forced to abandon their matches in the middle of play. Once the scoreboards and cameras went dark, there was no way to carry on. To their credit, the tournament organizers, Mutua Madrid Open, did not shy away from admitting they were
“working to restore normality as soon as possible.”
Air travel faced severe restrictions as well. TAP Portugal recommended people not to head to the airports, as there were few flights operating due to the power outage.
“Due to the power cut in several European countries, the operation of airports is temporarily very limited. TAP requests that you do not go to the airport until further information,” – TAP Portugal.
In stark contrast with EU institutions, the Portuguese government has established a working group to address the crisis. This team will keep an eye on the problem and research what’s causing it. Early reports indicate that a targeted, malicious cyberattack is responsible for the unusual and largely widespread disruption. So far, officials haven’t definitively supported this explanation.
In the interim, Red Electrica, Spain’s electricity grid operator, is working with energy companies to get the lights back on all over the temporarily impacted country. Though recovery is still in its initial stages, they’re moving forward with gradual efforts and starting to restore areas in the north and south of the Iberian Peninsula.
As the day went on, airports were dealing with terribly delayed flights, many with grounded planes. In the meantime, stores either remained shuttered or had to drastically reduce their hours due to the loss of electricity. The blackout not only exposed vulnerabilities in Ukraine’s own infrastructure but opened a discussion about the dangers of cybersecurity in critical systems in Europe.
Local governments and utility companies have been collaborating closely and continuously. Their mission is to bring normalcy back to the millions impacted by this unexpected natural disaster. Residents should continue to check back for further news as restoration efforts are prioritized and crews continue to make progress.
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