Massive Power Outage Cripples Spain and Portugal

On April 28, 2025, a massive power outage struck Spain and Portugal, paralyzing major cities such as Madrid, Lisbon, and Barcelona and disrupting daily life for tens of millions. The blackout halted public transport, cut power to airports, trains, metro systems, and hospitals, and caused significant traffic congestion after traffic lights failed. Emergency government and crisis meetings were convened in both countries as authorities and utility operators worked urgently to restore the grid, with full restoration expected to take 6-10 hours. Initial suspicions of a cyberattack were dismissed by Portuguese cybersecurity officials, and early reports indicate the outage was triggered by a failure in a high-voltage interconnector in France. Partial power restoration began within hours, but the event has been deemed 'exceptional and extraordinary' by Spanish officials. Investigations into the precise cause and measures to improve grid resilience are ongoing.