Massive Spain power outage blackout: live updates
Power outage in Europe: live updates
Headlines: Monday, April 28, 2025
- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez addressed the public - says no cause yet determined for the blackout
- The Spanish electrical network lost 15GW of power, 60% of total capcity, over a 5 second period causing the collapse of the system.
- Power returning to Lisbon and Madrid, the capitals of Portugal and Spain.
- Officials warn that the process to fully restore power to Iberian peninsula will take time, ask citizens to be patient
- Power outage impacted electricity, internet, and mobile service in France, Portugal, and Spain.
- Bilbao, in the Basque Country in Northern Spain, is one of the first cities to see the lights turned back on
- The Spanish government is investigating the cause of the outage, which has left many worried about the vulnerability of the country's grid to cyberattacks.
Portugal struggles through emergency situation
After a late-night cabinet meeting on Monday Portugal declared an energy crisis situation, highlighting the ongoing nature of the blackout.
Addressing the nation, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said: “We have learnt of a general blackout in the electricity grid, which originated outside our territory, most probably in Spain."
He added that a specific government response office had been introduced to help provide support during an “unprecedented” crisis for the nation. Late on Monday night, resident in Lisbon were seen cheering as power was restored after nearly an entire day.
Radio regained its place as the center of attention during nationwide blackout in Spain
Today we take for granted the humble radio. Governments encourage their citizens to have a battery-powered radio in case of emergencies in order to get information in the event other forms of communication fail.
The 'apagon' in Spain and Portugal proved just how essential having a radio can be. Without cell phone and internet service, residents in neighborhoods sat out in the street to listen for the latest developments on radios.
"A long night ahead"
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has met with officials from the nation's power operator. He said the government will work "all night long" to get the power back to the entirety of the country.
"All states resources are being mobilized to restore normal supply as quickly as possible," said Sanchez in an address to the Spanish citizens. "We'll be working flat out, all night long. With professionalism and commitment. As Spain always does in these situations."
61.35% of electricity supply restored in Spain!
Spain's Red Eléctrica announced that 61.35% of power has been restored in the country.
People on Madrid's Gran Vía celebrate lights coming back on
Little by little lights are coming back on in the Spanish capital Madrid. As they do, residents are breaking into cheers of celebration after having passed several hours without electricity.
Spain's PM says citizens can and should be calm
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez provided another update on the situation, reporting that nearly 50% of the power supply has been restored.
"Virtually all autonomous communities are seeing improvement,” Sánchez said. “Citizens can and should be calm.”
“How long it will take to return to normal is something the electricity grid cannot tell us with certainty,” he continued. “Specialists have not been able to determine what caused the sudden loss of power, but they will,” he said.
He said that the situation in hospitals is back to normal thanks to power generators, and that some communities requested fuel.
Red Cross bring water to those stuck at train stations
Members of the Red Cross are bringing blankets and water to those trapped in the Joaquin Sorrolla Valencia train station as some people are forced to spend the night there.
Police deployed in Spain
The sun sets late in Spain, but it does eventually set. It's now past 10:00 p.m. in Spain and as the power outage continues into the evening, thousands of police officers have been deployed.
The ministry reports that it's deploying 30,000 officers nationwide in order to maintain security.
Power continues to return in Portugal
The number of consumers whose power has been restored in Portugal has risen to 750,000.
And on that note...
Parts of central Lisbon have already seen power restored!
Power not expected to return to Lisbon for several hours
Lisbon mayor Carlos Moedas says that power likely won't return to the city for another 6-7 hours.
"But I’m counting that overnight, probably, the situation will not be solved,” Moedas said,
João Faria Conceição of Rede Electrica Nacional (REN) said that Porto should get power back slightly sooner, within a couple of hours.
“At this moment in time we have preliminary information that around 300,000 consumers are connected,” Conceição said.
REN warns power outage could last up to a week
While power is steadily being restored in the north and south of the peninsula, as well as the south-west of France, Portugal's grid operator warned that it could take as long as a week for power to be fully restored.
"Due to the complexity of the phenomenon and the need to rebalance electricity flows internationally, it is estimated that full normalization of the network could take up to a week," they sais.
It hasn't been a terrible time for EVERYone...
I can confirm as a journalist in Valencia that this was the case in many parts of the city. Of course, others were not so lucky as to be out enjoying the sunshine. Many were stuck in traffic, underground, in elevators, etc. But for those lucky enough to be at home without any major need for electricity, it's been a nice way to just disconnect and enjoy the day.
More than 170 elevator rescues
In Madrid alone, firefighters reported carrying out 174 "elevator interventions" due to the blackout.
AS journalist stuck in Madrid metro
One of our own journalists, like many others in Spain and Portugal, was stuck inside a metro station in Madrid for several hours.
Portugal PM sends update
Portugal's Prime Minister Luis Montenegro posted this update on X:
"We are working together to respond quickly to the power outage that is still affecting the country. We are in constant contact with security forces, civil protection, the armed forces, hospitals, and fuel supply companies to ensure response capacity in essential infrastructure and support for those in need. We are also in contact with European institutions and partners. There is no time to waste! Our thanks to everyone who is focused on these priority tasks."
1/5 of Iberian Peninsula's power restored
According to Red Eléctrica (which operates Spain's national electricity grid), as of 7:30 p.m. Spanish time, more than one fifth of the Iberian Peninsula's power has been restored.
"The power supply is being progressively restored in all electrical zones of the territory, with 45% of the substation parks in the transmission network already energized,” Red Eléctrica stated.
Power has just been restored in the Valencian community as shouts could be heard throughout the streets as it came back all at once.
Power has now been restored in parts of these regions:
Catalonia
Aragon
The Basque Country
Galicia
La Rioja
Asturias
Navarre
Castile
León
Extremadura
Andalusia
Valencia
Good news for residents of Madrid
Red Eléctrica, the semi-public company responsible for Spain's energy grid, has reported that they are starting to restore power in Madrid, as well as Valencia, Murcia, and Catastilla - La Mancha. The majority of these residents have been without power since about noon local time, disrupting life as transit systems collapsed and businesses were forced to close due to card payment systems stopping work.
Authorities are working to restore as much power as possible, before the sun sets, as many street lights will not turn on, given the current crisis.
Statement from Spanish President, Pedro Sánchez
The President of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, addressed the ongoing power outages. He confirmed that electricity has been successfully restored in ten autonomous communities thanks to crucial support in restarting the energy supply from neighboring France and Morocco.
Looking ahead, the President expressed hope that hydroelectric power sources, bolstered by recent rainfall and reservoir levels, will play a key role in further stabilizing the national grid. However, he stated that the underlying cause of the widespread disruption remains under investigation, with no definitive information available at this time.
Measures taken by the Spanish government
In response to the crisis, the government has implemented a series of measures. Security forces are actively deployed nationwide, with military intervention authorized in the communities of Madrid, Extremadura, and Andalusia, following their requests for assistance. Essential services are being prioritized, with hospitals reported to be fully operational utilizing long-duration generator systems. Furthermore, provisions are in place to ensure continued home care for dependent individuals.
For safety and logistical reasons, air transport is being reduced by 20%. Significant disruption is affecting rail travel, with all medium and long-distance train services canceled. Authorities are working to redistribute trains and restore the network, but no long-distance services are expected to resume today, with an update anticipated tomorrow. Commuter rail services (cercanías) are predicted to recover more quickly.
The President reassured the public that critical financial infrastructure, including banking and market systems, continues to function normally.
He urged citizens to avoid unnecessary travel and to rely solely on official sources for information, cautioning against the spread of misinformation. Given the strain on the mobile network and the importance of conserving battery power, the public is asked to use phones responsibly, limiting calls to essential and brief communications, and to reserve emergency lines strictly for critical situations.
The President also indicated that he has been in communication with key stakeholders, including the King of Spain, the European Union, NATO, and the leaders of the opposition parties. A further meeting of the National Security Council has been scheduled for 1 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CEST) to continue addressing the unfolding situation.
A single incident, like a power outage, can turn an entire country upside down. Spain, Portugal, and parts of France have suffered a widespread blackout that, according to Red Eléctrica, will take between six and ten hours to return to normal. Given this situation, a question arises: What will happen to the Internet? Read more.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez begins his remarks
Close to an hour after he was scheduled to speak, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez addressed the country and the world as Spain and Portugal grapple with one of the worst energy blackouts in their histories.
Three autonomous communities in Spain—Andalucía, Extremadura, and Madrid—have requested additional support from the national government. The Prime Minister stated that power has been restored in both the north and south of the country through collaboration with France and Morocco. Sánchez expressed gratitude to these governments during his remarks. Regarding the cause of the outage, Sánchez refrained from speculating, as the investigation is still ongoing. He reassured the public that, at this time, there are no major security risks and urged people to remain calm and follow the guidance of their local and regional authorities.
Although ATMs have not been operational in many areas, the Prime Minister reassured viewers that financial payment systems are functioning normally.
As far as telecommunications are concerned, the PM made clear that the systems are working in overdrive now and urged the public to make quick phone calls while avoiding calls to emergency lines so that first responders can prioritize the most important crises.
The country waits...
Though Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was slated to address the country at 5:15 local time, he is still missing, as technological issues plague the Moncloa.
We will bring you his comments live as soon as he begins... but for now we wait as Spain and Portugal deal with the largest power outages in the countries' history. Millions remain without reliable power or internet access.
Spanish Prime Minister to speak at 5:15 pm Madrid time
As much of his capital city and the country remain without power, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will address the public.
Around five hours ago, Spain, Portugal, and parts of France experienced power outages, which created major disruptions as public transit systems were paralyzed, traffic lights were turned off, and businesses were unable to function. The comments from the prime minister are the first since the crisis began, and many are seeking answers to how long this might last and what caused the historic outage.
Spanish Prime Minsiter to speak at 5:15 pm Madrid time
As much of his capital city and country remains without power, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will address the public.
Around five hours ago, Spain, Portugal, and parts of France experienced power outages, which created major disruptions as public transit systems were paralyzed, traffic lights were turned off, and businesses were unable to function. The comments from the prime minister are the first since the crisis began, and many are looking for answers as to how long this might go on and what caused the historic outage.
Confusion over outaage cause after Portuguese energy operator chimes in
REN, Redes Energéticas Nacionais, is the company in Portugal responsible for managing the energy grid on the mainland. Earlier today, the company blamed the outage affecting Spain and Portugal on a rare "atmospheric anomaly." However, the news release that was issued now shows a 500 error online, indicating that the content might have been removed. To be clear, this information has yet to be confirmed.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is expected to speak at 5:15 pm Madrid time to provide a much-demanded update on what the government knows at this time, not only about the cause but also when households can expect their power to be restored. We will bring you his comments live.
Red Eléctrica provides an update on their work to restore power
Spain's semi-public power company, Red Eléctrica, has released a brief press statement outlining its efforts to restore power across the country. In many cities throughout Spain and Portugal, the power has been out for nearly five hours.
The government has yet to provide any information regarding the cause of the outage or guidance to the public. Spanish media have displayed images of panic buying in Madrid, where people are purchasing water despite no reported threat to the water supply. Nevertheless, while the government has its critics, others worry that widespread government communication could create more panic, especially if households were told to purchase goods, when to keep people safe local authorities are encouraging people to stay at home.
Red Eléctrica's press release is not groundbreaking; it focuses on efforts to restore power in a staggered manner, which will enable the company to gradually bring the grid back online in the coming hours.
EU Leaders have been briefed on the massive outage impacting three member states
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has spoken with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, as noted in her most recent post on X. The President "reaffirmed European Commission's support in monitoring the situation alongside national and European authorities."
Nonetheless, von der Leyen, like other government officials, has not provided further updates on the reason behind the outage that has shaken public confidence throughout the Iberian Peninsula.
Update just before 4:00 pm Spanish time
Good morning or afternoon, wherever you are joining us in the world. Around 10:30 AM, electricity was cut across much of the Iberian Peninsula, including Spain and Portugal, as well as parts of southern France.
Thousands of people on public transit systems were trapped as the vehicles lost power, leaving them stranded on the tracks.
Slowly, the power is being restored, with Bilbao in the Basque Country, in northern Spain, being one of the first cities to see electricity and mobile service return. Nevertheless, the city's metro system remains closed after being disrupted by the outage, and passengers have had to be relocated to safety.
In Lisbon, Madrid, and Barcelona, households and businesses remain without power, although in Barcelona, many have access to mobile networks and can thus communicate.
Red Eléctrica, the semi-public power company, has stated that it will take between 6 and 10 hours to restore power to the entire country.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is still meeting with security officials, where government leaders are being presented with evidence collected on the cause of the outage. As soon as we receive word on the outcomes of that meeting, we will bring them to you. The governments of all affected countries have been quiet, not wanting to cause panic or speculate about the cause of this very serious event.
Stay with us as the outage continues...
Panic buying seen across Madrid
With much of the Spanish capital still without power, many residents have flocked to supermarkets to buy water and canned foods.
The purchasing of water shows how spooked the public is because, at this point, there have been no disruptions to the water system, though households without power may not be able to boil or cook.
Update from Teresa Ribero:
"We can't say yet if there has been a cyber attack; we need to keep working. Hopefully everything returns to normal as soon as possible.
There are still no confirmed causes of the power outages. The Spanish government's security council is meeting to evaluate the evidence gathered thus far, as much of the country remains without power.
Spain's airports are running on backup generators
Those flying through an airport in Spain should be prepared for delays. Although the AENA, the national agency that oversees air travel has confirmed that backup electrical systems are up and running, many flights have been delayed, and customers have struggled to reach the airport. Traffic lights are out all over the country, leading to chaos on the roads.
How long could it take to restore power?
Spanish radio reports that in the French Basque Country, the lights were out for only a short period. Currently, in Bilbao and Vitoria, on the Spanish side of the border, some parts of the city have their lights on. Bilbao is one of the first cities to see the lights come back on, but the Metro continues to be closed.
Spanish authorities also state that it could take between 6 and 10 hours to restore power nationwide, as it appears that both the southern and northern parts of the country are beginning to see the lights come back on.
Reports say power will be fully restored by the end of the day
The latest information we have is that it will take between 6 to 10 hours for the power to be fully functional on the Iberian Peninsula.
Portuguese authorities say outage was a cyberattack
RTVE say that the Portuguese authorities are working on the opinion that the outage was indeed a cyberattack.
Power outages and mobile service interruptions affected millions in France, Portugal, and Spain this morning.
Investigations are ongoing into the cause of the widespread disruption, with growing concerns that it may have stemmed from a cyberattack. If cybercriminals manage to breach the power grid's controls, they could potentially take control of it.
Read our full coverage for details on the danger these attacks carry for the healthcare systems, transportation, and communication.
Spain's power is slowly returning...
Reports are coming in that in Bilbao the power is back, as has happened in various locations across the northern region.
The same goes for the south of Spain, which has seen the power also return to some cities and villages.
All of this is on purpose as the plan is to slowly close the gap from north to south in order for the flow of electricity to return in the safest way possible.
Investigation underway regarding a possible cyber attack
RTVE have reported that an investigation has begun to find out whether or not the outage was indeed a cyber attack on the Iberian peninsula.
Power outages across the Iberian Peninsula and France: Live Updates
Headlines: Monday, April 28, 2025
- A major power outage led to blackouts in Spain and Portugal this morning, affecting electricity and internet access
- Within the last hour, the power is back on in certain parts of the Iberian Peninsula
- The Spanish government is investigating the cause of the outage, which has left many worried about the vulnerability the country's grid faces from cyber attacks.
Airport incidents confirmed
Airport operator Aena have confirmed that there are various incidents that have occurred across Spain due to the power outage. Those with flights booked are urged to contact their airlines.
Portugal confirm blackout:
Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN), the company responsible for the supply of electricity and gas in Portugal, confirmed that this Monday "a massive power outage occurred across the Iberian Peninsula and parts of French territory," and that plans to restore service have been activated.
With #apagon trending, Lakers fans have had their say...
"The real power outage was for the Lakers yesterday", one cheeky user has posted.
Prado museum empties, halls cleared of visitors
The Museo del Prado, one of Spain's top tourist attractions, has posted these quite creepy photos of their empty museum halls.
"The blackout may have been caused by a cyberattack"
The president of the Andalusian regional government, Juan Manuel Moreno, stated that the blackout "may have been caused by a cyberattack", with RTVE reporters also saying that "it smells like a cyberattack".
Cheeky RCD Mallorca...
The island team clearly aren't having the same problems as mainland Spain, and they've posted this video with one very guilty looking Muriqi!
Traffic builds around busy areas
Police are doing their best to control the traffic in busy areas, like Colón in Madrid's city centre.
Madrid have activated an emergency plan
"Please remain where you are, do not travel, we need to leave the roads as open as possible. If you cannot get through to the emergency services, go to your local police station or fire station."
These are the words from the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida,
'Do not use your car unless absolutely necessary'
This is the advice from the DGT, Spain's version of the DVLA.
"Calma"
That's what the national news outlets are asking for.
"We are asking for calm, everything will be OK but it may take time."
Málaga residents leave subway via tunnels
If you've got claustrophobia then look away, this is not for you. This scary footage shows the moment Málaga residents were forced to leave the subway in a video that could come straight from 'The Walking Dead'.
Was it a cyberattack?
We're not sure, frankly, but it cannot be ruled out. At this time, nobody knows what caused all of Spain, parts of Portugal and a region of France to lose power at the same time...
Here's how things looked as the blackout hit
The yellow line that drops drastically in the middle of the graph is the levels of electricity in the very moment that the power outage struck; the green and red lines that carry on were the projections of how things were expected to go.
"It's a 'zero' across all the Iberian Peninsula"
RTVE, Spain's national new channel, have just been speaking to a specialist who delivered the bad news that "the situation is serious" as a 'zero' is a complete blackout and restoring things takes time.
Here's the update:
We are starting to recover electricity in the north and south of the peninsula, which is key to progressively meet the electricity supply.
It’s a process that involves gradually energizing the transmission network as the generation units come online.
We continue to work to restore the supply.
Reports emerge that northern Spain has seen the power return
The latest update is coming from northern Spain, which says that some parts of northern Spain have seen the electricity return to homes and office blocks.
Train passengers walk across the lines
Here's some shocking footage from Bilbao in northern Spain that shows train passengers forced to walk across the train lines after their train stopped mid-journey.
Aerial shots of Spanish chaos
Public transport has stopped, underground subway trains are also not working, nor are shops that have closed immediately.
Police standing in to guide traffic
This is Madrid's main street, Gran Vía, where police and working to safely guide traffic around the pedestrians in the absence of traffic signals.
Why has Europe suffered a power outage?
At the time of writing, there is no answer to this question: government officials are working along with private electricity companies in order to work out what has happened.
A huge blackout hit Spain, Portugal and parts of France around midday, causing chaos across the region.
Traffic lights stopped, as well as lights inside everything from hospitals to office blocks. Schools across the country stopped class as messages of calm came from the news outlets who also struggled to broadcast.
Spain suffers nationwide power outage
The entirety of Spain, along with parts of Portugal and France, have suffered a huge power outage that have seen businesses, traffic and normal life grind to a halt as governments scramble to work out what caused the problem.