In brief
Millions across the Iberian Peninsula faced significant inconveniences during a substantial power outage on Monday, affecting daily activities and leading to extensive investigations regarding the cause.
Millions of residents on the Iberian Peninsula experienced severe disruptions Monday afternoon into the evening, as power outages left them without electricity for hours. The incident caused chaos, with traffic lights going out at busy intersections, trains halting their services, and significant lines forming at ATMs and grocery stores due to malfunctioning credit card equipment.Restaurants, such as La Taberna in southern Ronda, resorted to candlelight as the outage unfolded, impacting daily life across Spain and Portugal, as well as briefly affecting parts of France. Amidst the turmoil, Spain's Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, stated that inquiries into the root cause of the blackout were ongoing.The national electricity provider in Portugal, E-Redes, pointed to an unspecified issue in the European electricity grid. Concurrently, António Leitão Amaro, a senior Portuguese government official, confirmed that there were no indications of a cyberattack, while REN, a Portuguese energy supplier, refuted rumors suggesting that an “atmospheric phenomenon” was responsible for the incident.Hospitals, banks, and travel services were among the sectors that experienced significant disruption. Authorities in both Spain and Portugal reported widespread connectivity issues affecting internet and mobile phone networks, leading to Prime Minister Sánchez advising citizens to limit their cellphone usage to urgent calls only. As investigations into the cause of the outages continue, residents remain in a state of uncertainty regarding when power will be fully restored.
