Massive power outages hit Spain, Portugal and France, slowing travel; Cause unclear, leaders say

Lights went out on the Iberian Peninsula moments after American tennis ace Coco Gauff won her Madrid Open match.

She was being interviewed on the court when, 24 seconds into the chat, the power suddenly went out and she jumped back in surprise.

Gauff then took to Instagram, showing that the locker room had virtually no lights, meaning showering was going to be a sight-unseen adventure.

“No power where the showers are,” she told and showed fans. “So I’m about to take a shower (in darkness) and I’ll let you all know how it goes. Wait that sounded sus.”

MADRID — Spain’s Interior Ministry has declared a state of emergency after a nationwide power blackout hit most of the Iberian Peninsula.

The ministry added the emergency status will be applied in the regions that request it.

So far, Madrid, Andalusia and Extremadura have asked for the central government to take over public order and other functions.

As of 7:30 p.m. in Spain, more than one-fifth of the Iberian Peninsula’s demand for power has been restored, said Red Eléctrica, the corporation that operates the national electricity grid in Spain.

Some of that restoration is coming from autonomous production and interconnection with France. 

“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,” the power company said.

Portugal’s Rede Elétrica Nacional (REN) said the country has been experiencing a power outage since 11:33 a.m. local time today. The power company said operations are underway to re-energize the national electricity system. 

Thus far, production has been restored at the Castelo de Bode hydroelectric power plant and the Tapada do Outeiro thermoelectric plant. 

“With this production, a very gradual process of resuming consumption is underway, firstly in the region of these plants and progressively in adjacent areas,” REN said. Preparations are underway to restore power to hospitals, security forces, airports, railways and roads.

“The operations to restore energy distribution throughout the country are particularly complex, as they are being carried out in a situation of complete power outage and using only national production resources, unlike what is happening in Spain, where the operation to return to normality is counting on contributions from the French and Moroccan electricity systems,” REN added.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said today that there is no “conclusive information” on the cause of the power blackout. 

“It is better not to speculate. We will know the causes. We do not rule out any hypothesis, but now we must focus on the most important thing, which is to restore electricity to our homes,” he added.

Sánchez emphasized that there is no evidence of civil protection issues or national insecurity. He urged the public to use their cellphones responsibly, only for short calls, and to use the emergency phone line, 112, only when necessary. 

Madrid’s emergency management office announced today that its Municipal Emergency Plan has escalated to Operational Level 2, and locals are advised to avoid nonessential travel. 

Madrid’s Calle 30 tunnels were closed, municipal services are doubling shifts, and firefighters have conducted 174 elevator rescues, officials said on X. The city’s health department said emergencies are being attended to normally and nonurgent surgeries are being postponed and rescheduled when power is restored. 

All Madrid metro lines are closed due to a power outage. Officials said there have been no serious incidents. 

Travelers line up at a bus stop in downtown Madrid today.Thomas Coex / AFP – Getty Images

The U.S. State Department of Consular Affairs issued a travel alert Monday regarding Spain’s power outage. 

American Citizens Services operations will continue today at the embassy in Madrid and the consulate general in Barcelona. 

Consular agencies in Valencia, Seville and Fuengirola (Malaga) may be closed on Tuesday if power is not restored by 8 a.m., officials said. Meanwhile, consular agencies in Palma de Mallorca and Las Palmas are operating as usual.

Video shared on X showed the Avenida de América metro stop in Madrid, a typically bustling train station, eerily empty on Monday morning. In the video by Álvaro González, trains are shut down and emergency lights illuminate the underground tunnels. 

He shared another clip showing several people walking through dark tunnels to exit the station.

González described the situation as “slightly apocalyptic,” with poor telephone connectivity, traffic lights out and office staff on the streets. 

Red Eléctrica, which operates the Spanish national electrical grid, said power has been restored in various parts of the country. 

Thus far, electricity supply has been restored in areas of Catalonia, Aragon, the Basque Country, Galicia, La Rioja, Asturias, Navarre, Castile and León, Extremadura, and Andalusia. 

Lisbon Airport warned travelers that “some operational constraints might occur” due to energy issues. 

“Please contact your airline before heading to the airport,” the airport said on social media. 

The European Commission, the executive body of the European Union, is monitoring the blackout affecting Spain and Portugal. 

“The Commission is in contact with the national authorities of Spain and Portugal and with ENTSO-E (European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity) to understand the underlying cause and the impact of the situation,” an EU spokesperson said to Portuguese news agency LUSA.

The commission, headquartered in Brussels, said there are “protocols in place to restore the functioning of the system.”

Commission President Ursula von Der Leyen said she spoke with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez today, adding, “We will coordinate efforts and share information to help restore the electricity system, and agreed to stay in close contact.”

The Mutua Madrid Open has been canceled due to the nationwide power outage, the tournament said on X. 

The tournament announced that day and night sessions were canceled “for reasons beyond the control of the organization and to guarantee general safety.”

The Madrid Open is an annual professional tennis tournament held in Manzanares Park in late April to early May.

Empty stands at the Madrid Open today.Manu Fernandez / AP

Ukraine’s top energy official said his country will share its “knowledge and experience” in identifying the root cause of a power outage that has paralyzed much of Spain and Portugal.

“Ukraine is ready to assist in restoring the stable operation of the energy networks of our partners and allies in Europe,” Minister of Energy German Galushchenko said in a statement on X. “We are ready to share the knowledge and experience, including those gained during the systematic russian attacks on the energy infrastructure.”

A top European official said there are no early signs that the mass blackout that has plunged much of the Iberian Peninsula into darkness is the work of cyberattackers.

“Grid operators in both countries are working on finding the cause, and on restoring the electricity supply,” European Council President António Costa said on X. “At this point, there are no indications of any cyber attack.”

Costa added that he is in close contact with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Portuguese Prime Minister António Luís Santos da Costa Montenegro.