A large-scale power outage struck multiple countries in Southern Europe, including Spain, Portugal, France, and Belgium, on Monday, April 28, 2025, disrupting transportation networks, air travel, and daily services. The blackout affected major cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon, and Paris, causing widespread chaos across the region.
Spain’s national railway operator, Renfe, confirmed that the entire National Electricity Grid was cut off at approximately 12:30 p.m., halting all train departures and disrupting rail services throughout the country. The blackout also caused major traffic disruptions, with traffic lights failing in cities like Madrid and Valencia, leading to severe gridlocks and suspended metro services.
“Metro Valencia services are fully interrupted due to the ongoing power outage,” local officials said, while authorities in Madrid evacuated passengers from some underground train sections. The failure of traffic lights in the capital led to significant traffic congestion, with some reports describing the situation as a standstill in central Madrid.
In Portugal, the impact of the power outage was equally severe, with the Public Security Police announcing that metro services in Lisbon and Porto were suspended and traffic signals malfunctioned nationwide. Air traffic across both Spain and Portugal was also affected, though no widespread cancellations had been reported as of the latest updates.
According to FlightRadar24, “Air traffic in Spain and Portugal is being impacted by widespread electrical outages affecting both countries,” with further disruptions expected as the situation evolves.
The blackout also disrupted businesses in Lisbon, where shops and restaurants could not process card payments due to internet and banking failures. Reports indicated long lines outside ATMs, with residents attempting to withdraw cash to meet basic needs.
Sporting events also fell victim to the power failure. The Madrid Open tennis tournament was abruptly suspended after organizers reported that “the blackout caused scoreboards and camera systems to lose all power, making it impossible to continue matches.”
As authorities scrambled to restore order, Red Eléctrica, Spain’s power grid operator, worked to bring electricity back online, beginning with northern and southern regions of the country.
“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,” said a company spokesperson. The cause of the outage is still under investigation, with early reports suggesting the issue might be related to regional interconnections within Europe.
The Spanish government convened an emergency crisis meeting at Red Eléctrica’s headquarters to coordinate the national response and provide further updates to citizens as they worked to resolve the ongoing power failure.
As of now, the situation remains fluid, with authorities urging patience as efforts to restore normalcy continue across the affected nations.
