Huge swathes of Spain and Portugal have been hit by a major power blackout that has caused widespread disruption at airports train stations and metro systems, seen traffic lights fail, and disrupted communication networks.

There has been no explanation for the power outages, and officials have not ruled out a possible cyber attack, according to the Reuters news agency. The Spanish and Portuguese governments have convened emergency cabinet meetings as utility operators scrambled to restore the grid.

The head of Spain’s electricity grid operator Red Electrica said restoring power to could take between six to 10 hours.

Spanish radio stations said part of the Madrid underground was being evacuated, while there were large traffic jams in Madrid city centre as traffic lights stopped working. The metro was closed in Lisbon and Porto, and trains were not running.

Parts of southern France were also affected for a short time.

According to Spanish and Portuguese media, emergency lines were operational thanks to back-up generators.

Follow the live blog from Yahoo News for all the latest on the power cuts:

Live16 updates

  • Mon 28 April 2025 at 6:42 am GMT-7Graphs show internet traffic fall off amid power cut

    Graphs show the drop off in internet traffic from Spain and Portugal amid the widespread power cut.

  • Mon 28 April 2025 at 6:30 am GMT-7In pictures: Major blackout hits Spain and Portugal
  • Mon 28 April 2025 at 6:18 am GMT-7Is the UK prepared for major power outages?

    With the widespread blackouts in Spain and Portugal, footage has resurfaced of Ofgem’s CEO being asked whether the UK is prepared to similar power cuts.

  • Mon 28 April 2025 at 6:16 am GMT-7Restoring power ‘could take 6-10 hours’Spectators roam inside the Madrid Open tennis tournament venue during a general blackout in Madrid, Monday, April 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

    Spectators roam inside the Madrid Open tennis tournament venue during a general blackout in Madrid, Monday. (AP)

    Spanish power distributor says restoring power to large parts of the country after the huge outage could take 6-10 hours, AP reported.

  • Mon 28 April 2025 at 5:53 am GMT-7Authorities looking into cyber attack as possible cause of blackout

    Juanma Moreno, president of the Andalusian regional government, told reporters that a cyber attack was the most likely cause of the power outage.

    Authorities have been unable to explain the cause of the outage, though a possible cyber attack has not been ruled out and investigations are ongoing, officials said.

    A crisis committee was set up in Spain to manage the situation, according to people familiar with the situation – however there has been no official comment from the Spanish government as yet on whether a cyber attack is believed to have caused the disruption.

  • Mon 28 April 2025 at 5:45 am GMT-7Emergency lines in Spain and Portugal running on back-up generators

    According to Spanish and Portuguese media, emergency lines (112) are operational thanks to back-up generators. Authorities in both countries are asking users to refrain from calling unless it’s an emergency.

  • Mon 28 April 2025 at 5:41 am GMT-7Electricity demand still running way below regular usage

    While the partial blackout in France appears to have restored, issues persist in Spain and Portugal.

  • Mon 28 April 2025 at 5:36 am GMT-7France partial outage restored

    The partial outage in France has been restored, according to Spanish media.

  • Mon 28 April 2025 at 5:27 am GMT-7No explanation for power outagesPeople check their mobile phones as they stand outside a closed subway station following a power outage in Lisbon, Portugal, Monday, April 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

    People check their mobile phones as they stand outside a closed subway station following a power outage in Lisbon, Portugal. (AP)

    There has not been any explanation as yet for the power outages that are affecting Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia and Seville in Spain – as well as the whole of Portugal.

  • Mon 28 April 2025 at 5:18 am GMT-7Card payments reportedly not being accepted in Lisbon

    Card payments are not currently being accepted in Lisbon as a result of the electricity blackouts, the BBC reports.

    Queues are being reported outside cash point machines as card payments cease.

  • Mon 28 April 2025 at 5:05 am GMT-7Play suspended at Madrid Open – as moment power went out caught on video

    Play at the Mutua Madrid Open has been suspended as a result of the widespread power cut affecting Spain, Portugal and France.

    The moment the power went out appears to have been captured during an interview with Coco Gauff who was playing today at the Arantxa Sanchez Stadium in Madrid.

  • Mon 28 April 2025 at 4:56 am GMT-7Air traffic hit by power outages

    Air traffic in Spain and Portugal is being affected by the widespread power blackouts, according to the FlightRadar website.

  • Mon 28 April 2025 at 4:47 am GMT-7Red Electrica says it is starting to recover voltage

    Spanish power grid operator Red Electrica said: “We are starting to recover voltage in the north and south of the peninsula, which is key to progressively meet the electricity supply.

  • Mon 28 April 2025 at 4:41 am GMT-7Traffic jams reported in Madrid city centre amid blackout ‘chaos’

    “Chaos” reported in Spain and Portugal as transport networks grind to a halt.

  • Mon 28 April 2025 at 4:31 am GMT-7Power cuts are ‘nationwide’, sources say

    According to local media, the power cuts in Portugal and Spain are ‘nationwide’, sources said. There are also reports coming in that areas in Belgium, as well as France, have been affected.

  • Mon 28 April 2025 at 4:28 am GMT-7Data show a sudden drop in demand on power grid

    Data from the national grid shows a sudden loss of demand for power.