Spain and parts of Portugal and France on Monday were hit by a widespread power outage caused by a “rare atmospheric phenomenon,” according to Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN), Portugal’s grid operator.
The Context
The power outage has brought public transport to a standstill, caused significant traffic jams and delayed flights.
The disruption has impacted millions of people, matches for the Madrid Open tennis tournament have been suspended, Portuguese banks and schools have closed and hospitals in Spain have been forced to run on generators.
What To Know
REN told Sky News on Monday that the outage was caused by a fault in the Spanish electricity grid, which was caused by a “rare atmospheric phenomenon.”
REN said that as a result of extreme temperature variations in Spain, there were “anomalous oscillations” in extremely high-voltage lines. REN said this is known as “induced atmospheric variation,” which in turn can lead to oscillations. This caused synchronization failures between systems, leading to successive disturbances across the European network, which is interconnected.
Given the complexity of the issue, it could take as long as a week for the network to return to normal.
E-Redes, which is the national energy supplier of Portugal, has also shared a statement on the blackout where they said the interruption was due to a problem in the European electricity grid.
Spain’s electricity grid operator Red Eléctrica has said that “all resources” are being dedicated to solving the issue.
France was also impacted by the power outage. A spokesperson for France’s electricity transmission operator RTE told CNN that they had experienced a “small power cut,” and that electricity was “restored very quickly,” adding that its main focus is now helping Spain to restore their power.
People wait outside the Atocha train station in Madrid after its closure as a massive power outage hits Spain on April 28. People wait outside the Atocha train station in Madrid after its closure as a massive power outage hits Spain on April 28. THOMAS COEX/AFP via Getty Images
What People Are Saying
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “I spoke with @sanchezcastejon [Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sánchez] about the power outage in the Iberian Peninsula. I reaffirmed the @EU_Commission’s support in monitoring the situation with national and European authorities and our Electricity Coordination Group. We will coordinate efforts and share information to help restore the electricity system, and agreed to stay in close contact.”
Madrid Mayor José Luis Martinez-Almeida said in a video on X: “I ask all residents of Madrid to keep their movements to an absolute minimum and if at all possible, to remain where they are. We want to keep all roads clear.”
Eduardo Prieto, director of services for system operation at Spain’s Red Eléctrica, told broadcaster La Sexta: “The experience of other similar events that have taken place in other countries indicate to us that this process, the total reestablishment of the electrical supply, will take several hours, we could be talking about six to ten hours, if everything goes well, until we reestablish supply to every last customer.”
What Happens Next?
Authorities in Spain have requested that people minimize their movements and stay off the roads. Police in Portugal have warned against taking unnecessary journeys due to concerns about traffic and streetlights failing.
People get off a stopped high-speed AVE train near Cordoba on April 28 during a massive power cut affecting the entire Iberian peninsula and the south of France. People get off a stopped high-speed AVE train near Cordoba on April 28 during a massive power cut affecting the entire Iberian peninsula and the south of France. JAVIER SORIANO/AFP via Getty Image
