Spain, Portugal Recover from Massive Blackout, Power Resumed

Spain and Portugal experienced a massive and unprecedented blackout on Monday that paralyzed transportation, disrupted airports, and halted hospital procedures across the Iberian Peninsula. Both countries' grid operators reported that power was gradually restored by late Monday, with Portugal stabilizing its entire grid before midnight and Spain regaining nearly all electricity supply by early Tuesday, though some train services remained suspended. The blackout, which lasted several hours, left major cities like Madrid and Barcelona in darkness and forced many residents to stay indoors. The cause is still under investigation, but Spanish officials cited a sudden and extreme loss of 15GW—about 60% of national demand—in five seconds, attributed to a failure in the interconnection with France. Authorities from both countries ruled out a cyberattack, but concerns over the resilience of Europe's power infrastructure remain. Emergency measures included the deployment of police and emergency cabinet meetings, while NATO was contacted as a precaution.