Spain has declared a state of emergency after a mass power blackout caused chaos across the Iberian Peninsula.
The unprecedented power outage across large parts of Spain and Portugal has caused chaos in cities including capitals Madrid and Lisbon, knocking out metro networks, phone lines, traffic lights and ATM machines.
Spanish power distributor Red Eléctrica said that restoring power to large parts of the country after the massive and unprecedented outage could take 6-10 hours and power was still being restored on Monday evening.
Portuguese grid operator REN said a “rare atmospheric phenomenon” in Spain had caused the power outages and warned that fully restoring the country's power grid could take up to a week.
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said that a problem in the European grid caused the huge power outage and the cause of the "strong oscillation" is still being determined.
Follow the latest updates below...
Key Points
- Portuguese grid operator warns that power outage could take up to a week to restore following 'rare atmospheric phenomenon' in Spain
- Spanish PM says there is no conclusive information yet on cause of mass blackout
- Pictures show scale of disruption across Spain and Portugal
- Airports in Spain and Portugal hit by power outage
- State of emergency declared in Spain
Live coverage ends
22:08The London Standard’s live coverage of the major power cuts in Spain and Portugal has ended.
You can read more about the power cuts here.
Recap: Portugal's grid operator rules out cyberattack
21:59Portuguese grid operator REN said on Monday it had "no information" that the mass power outages that hit the Iberian Peninsula were caused by a cyberattack.
REN board member Joao Conceicao told reporters the operator did not rule out that the blackout was due to a "very large oscillation in the electrical voltages, first in the Spanish system, which then spread to the Portuguese system".
"If it were up to REN, the country would wake up tomorrow with electricity, but unfortunately it's not just REN that counts," he added
Power restored in parts of Lisbon and Madrid
21:11 , Jacob PhillipsThe electric power supply has been restored in parts of central Lisbon after a mass blackout hit most of the Iberian Peninsula and caused disruptions for around nine hours, according to a Reuters witness.
Around an hour ago, power also returned to parts of the Spanish capital of Madrid. Power started returning to the Basque Country and Barcelona areas of the country in the early afternoon on Monday.
Spanish power distributor Red Eléctrica said shortly after the power first went out that restoring electricity to large parts of the country after the massive and unprecedented outage could take 6-10 hours, and power was still being restored on Monday evening.
Further pictures show scale of power outage in Spain and Portugal
20:58 , Jacob Phillips
State of emergency declared in Spain
20:20Spain's Interior Ministry has declared a state of emergency following today's power outage in the Iberian peninsula.
The emergency status will be applied to regions that request it, the ministry says.
So far, Madrid, Andalusia and Extremadura have asked for the central government to take over public order and other functions, the BBC reported.
No flights from Lisbon until late this evening
19:55 , Matt WattsPortugal's airport operator ANA said on Monday it did not expect flights to be able to take off from Lisbon until 10 p.m local time following the mass power outages that hit the Iberian Peninsula.
It said in a statement operations continued at both Porto and Faro airports, but with limitations.
IAG's Spanish airline Iberia said it had cancelled 23 of the 247 flights that were scheduled on Monday after a power outage hit most of the Iberian Peninsula.
The airline said that given the difficulties to reach airports, it will offer all its passengers the possibility to reschedule their trip to their best convenience.
286 rescue missions free people trapped in lifts in Madrid
19:36 , Matt WattsEmergency services in Spain carried out 286 rescue operations to free people trapped inside lifts in Madrid after the power failure.
Isabel Díaz Ayuso, head of the regional government, told television station Antena 3: “What we are now dealing with more frequently are cases of people trapped in lifts. We have received 286 requests [for help].”
Spanish residents 'panic buy' in Madrid amid power outage
19:15 , Jacob PhillipsSpanish residents have been panic buying as a widespread power outage continues to affect the country, according to reports.
Long queues were spotted at stores in Madrid, where Metro stations and offices lost power, and phone service has become patchy.
One Madrid shop owner told the Guardian that the most popular purchases on Monday had been radios, batteries, torches and candles.
Elsewhere in the city, empty shelves appeared, as shopping baskets were filled with bulk bought items such as tinned goods, toilet paper and breakfast cereals.
The moment the power cut mid interview at the Madrid Open
18:44 , Jacob PhillipsThis is the moment when the electricity cut out at the Madrid Open during an interview with US star Coco Gauff.
The tennis star’s microphone cut out mid-sentence while advertising screens behind the athlete also suddenly switched off.
Tennis fans were among thousands plunged into darkness when the power cut began.
You can watch the unique moment below.
The exact moment Spain, Portugal and other parts of Europe lost power. pic.twitter.com/B0O4oQDHfh
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) April 28, 2025
Recap: Major power outage brings Spain and Portugal to a standstill
18:02 , Jacob PhillipsA power cut has brought much of Spain and Portugal to a standstill, halting trains, cutting phone service and shutting down traffic lights and ATMs for millions of people across the Iberian Peninsula.
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that a problem in the European grid that he described as a "strong oscillation" was behind the outage, but that the cause was still being determined.
The Spanish leader asked the public to refrain from speculation and said no theory about the cause of the outage had been discarded.
Spanish power distributor Red Electrica said that restoring power fully to the country and neighbouring Portugal could take 6-10 hours.
But Portuguese grid operator REN warned that completely restoring power could take a week after a “rare atmospheric phenomenon” caused the power cuts.
By mid-afternoon, voltage was progressively being restored in the north, south and west of the peninsula, Red Electrica said.
The company declined to speculate on the causes of the huge blackout.
While addressing the Spanish public, Sanchez thanked the governments of France and Morocco, where energy was being pulled from to restore power to north and southern Spain.
The Spanish Prime Minister warned people that telecommunications were at a “critical moment” and that they should use their phones responsibly and try to keep calls brief.
Questions were raised about whether the outage had been a cyber attack earlier on Monday, the Portuguese National Cybersecurity Centre issued a statement saying there was no sign this was the case.
Portugal grid operator says it is preparing to resume electricity supply at key locations
17:39Portugal’s grid operator REN has said it preparing to resume the supply of electricity at key locations across the country, including at hospitals, and airports.
The electricity operator has warned that energy distribution throughout Portugal is particularly complex compared to in Spain.
REN added that electricity has been brought back to the Castelo De Bode Hydroelectric Plant and at the Tapada Do Outerio Thermoelectric Plant too.
Operations are underway to bring back electricity across Portugal, the grid operator added.
Earlier on Monday Ren warned that it could take up to a week for Portugal’s electricity supply to return to normal.
Spanish PM says there is no conclusive information yet on cause of mass blackout
17:22There was no conclusive information yet on the cause of the power blackout that has affected most of the Iberian Peninsula, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday.
He added that telecommunications are at a critical moment and told citizens to use phone responsibly and only for brief calls.
The Spanish leader also explained that payment systems are working normally, as well as digital banking.
Addressing the Spanish public, Mr Sanchez added that “for the time being, there are no public security problems”.
Spain's nuclear reactors in safe condition, nuclear safety council says
16:36 , Jacob PhillipsSpain's seven nuclear reactors were in safe condition, the country's nuclear safety council said on Monday after a power blackout hit the country.
Four reactors stopped operating automatically after the outage, after which emergency generators kicked in.
For three reactors that weren't in operation at the time, emergency generators also started working to keep them in a safe condition, the council said.
Pictures show scale of disruption across Spain and Portugal
16:34 , Jacob Phillips
Ukraine offers to help Spain and Portugal with restoring energy networks
16:00 , Jacob PhillipsWar-torn Ukraine was ready to assist in restoring energy networks after blackouts hit Spain and Portugal, Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galuschenko said on Monday.
"We are ready to share the knowledge and experience, including those gained during the systematic Russian attacks on the energy infrastructure," Galuschenko said in a post on X.
Thousands of missiles and drones have been fired into Ukraine by Russia first invaded the country over three years ago.
Major outage expected to be solved today, says Portuguese PM
15:26 , Jacob PhillipsPortugal’s Prime Minister Luís Montenegro has reassured citizens that he expects that the major power outage that has hit his country, as well as Spain and France, will be solved today.
The politician reassured people that they are trying to restore power in Portugal in the next few hours.
However, his update comes minutes after the Portugues grid operator REN warned that full restoring the country’s power could take up to a week.
REN said a rare atmospheric phenomenon in Spain due to extreme temperature variations in the country's interior caused the power outages across the Iberian Peninsula.
IKEA announces stores shut across Spain due to power outage
15:21 , Jacob PhillipsIKEA has warned its city stores and pick-up points in Spain are temporarily closed following the widespread power outage.
The furniture store explained that its biggest stores in Spain have had backup generators switched on, but they are unable to let in new customers.
A 'rare atmospheric phenomenon' means restoring power could take up to a week, Portuguese operator says
15:12 , Jacob PhillipsPortuguese grid operator REN said a rare atmospheric phenomenon in Spain due to extreme temperature variations in the country's interior caused the power outages across the Iberian Peninsula.
It has warned that fully restoring the country's power grid could take up to a week.
Airports in Spain and Portugal hit by power outage
15:10 , Jacob PhillipsAirports in both Spain and Portugal have reported delays following power outages across the countries.
AENA, which manages 46 airports in Spain, reported flight delays around the country.
Portugal's airport operator ANA said airports activated emergency generators which for now allows essential airport operations to be maintained at Porto and Faro airports.
"In Lisbon, operations are ongoing but with limitations. So far, there have been no impacts on Madeira and Azores airports," it said.
Madrid residents told not to travel as police sirens and helicopters heard in the Spanish capital
15:02 , Jacob PhillipsIn Madrid, the air was filled with the sound of police sirens and helicopters clattered overhead on Monday.
The towering Torre Emperador skyscraper in the Spanish capital was evacuated via stairs. Worried people tried desperately to reach their children's schools as the cell signal came and went.
In a video posted on X, Madrid Mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida urged the capital's residents to minimise all travel and stay at their current locations if possible.
Six to 10 hour wait to restore power in Spain, power grid operator warns
14:59 , Jacob PhillipsSpanish power grid operator Red Electrica said it was working with energy companies to restore power. It said it could take between six to 10 hours.
It said: “Plans to restore the electricity supply have been activated in collaboration with companies in the sector following the zero that occurred in the peninsular system.
“The causes are being analysed and all resources are being dedicated to solving it. We will continue to report.”
The story so far
14:55 , Jacob PhillipsVast areas of Spain and Portugal have been hit by a serious power outage, causing transport services to grind to a halt.
Blackouts have been reported from Madrid to Lisbon affecting communications, airports, high-speed transport networks and roads after knocking out traffic lights and electric road signs.
Videos online show railway networks in Spanish cities in chaos, with people being evacuated through tunnels as blackouts hit underground stations and halt trains.
Authorities have been working to evacuate parts of the Madrid underground, with large traffic jams reported in the city centre after traffic lights stopped working.
Barcelona, Seville and Valencia are among major Spanish cities also affected, according to reports. Footage on television showed empty stations with trains stopped in Barcelona.
