9 Posts
Parts of France’s Basque Country, in the southwest of the country, were briefly impacted by a “small power cut,” a spokesperson for France’s electricity transmission operator RTE told CNN Monday.
“It lasted only a couple of minutes and was restored very quickly,” said Emilie Grandidier.
“We are now focusing our efforts on helping Spain restore its power,” she added.
Spain’s hospitals have backup power systems to ensure the flow of power, according to the country’s health ministry, which said it was monitoring the situation and ready to respond to any incident.
Portugal’s grid operator Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN) said electrical supply was lost across the entire Iberian peninsula, and in parts of France, late on Monday morning.
Spanish power grid operator Red Electrica said it was working with energy companies to restore power, only some of which had been regained in the north and south by the afternoon. “The causes are being analyzed and all resources are being dedicated to solving it,” it said.
CNN’s Rob Picheta contributed reporting to this post.
Severe power outages have affected the Spanish capital, Madrid, as well as other major cities across the country, including Barcelona, Seville and Valencia.
Speaking on state television, Madrid’s mayor José Luis Martinez Almeida asked people to minimize their movements and only call emergency services in the case of extreme emergencies. He also urged people to stay clear of the roads for emergency workers.
Madrid’s Metro said in a statement that all service had been interrupted due to a “lack of electric supply.”
Local media reported that parts of the metro had been evacuated.
Meanwhile, Madrid’s Barajas Airport, the main international airport serving the capital, is reportedly dealing with a blackout, according to local media, with flight tracker services showing flight cancellations and delays.
“Power has not yet been restored to Barajas Airport,” according to El Mundo, Spain’s second-largest daily newspaper.
Play has been suspended at the 2025 Mutua Madrid Tennis tournament after the Spanish capital was hit by a major power outage on Monday.
“We are working to restore normality as soon as possible,” the tournament wrote in a post on social media.
Grigor Dmitrov and opponent Jacob Fearnley were forced off the court mid-game after overhead cameras lost power and the scoreboard went dark, Reuters reported Monday.
Among other players expected to take the court at the tournament today is women’s world number one player Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus.
A power outage hit the entire Iberian peninsula at around 11.33 a.m. local time (6:33 a.m. ET) Monday, Portuguese national electricity grid Rede Electrica Nacional (REN) confirmed.
“All plans to restore the energy supply in stages are being activated, in coordination with European energy producers and operators,” the grid said, adding that the “possible causes of this incident are being assessed.”
The Iberian peninsula is in southwestern Europe, and REN says some parts of France are also affected by the outage.
CNN is reaching out to authorities in France for more information.
In Madrid, traffic piled up on the roads after the lights went out due to a massive power outage that affected parts of Spain and Portugal.
“I was driving and suddenly there was no traffic lights … It was a bit of a jungle,” Luis Ibáñez Jiménez told CNN from Madrid, Spain.
“I saw a massive bus coming, and I had to accelerate a lot to go past it.”
Ellie Kenny, a holidaymaker inside Lisbon airport, in Portugal, says hundreds of people are stood in the dark in queues after power went out inside the Humberto Delgado airport.
There’s no running water from sinks in bathrooms or water bottle stations inside the airport, the air conditioning has gone out and shops inside are only accepting cash, she told CNN.
Portugal’s police force warned that traffic lights and street lighting are at risk of failing as power is cut.
“Reduce your speed and pay extra attention,” they said, instructing people to avoid unnecessary journeys. “Prioritise safe driving: your calmness saves lives,” their statement added.
A massive power outage has knocked out electricity across parts of Spain and Portugal, shutting off traffic lights and causing chaos at airports, train stations and on the roads.
Spanish power grid operator Red Electrica said it was working with energy companies to restore power. “The causes are being analyzed and all resources are being dedicated to solving it,” it said. “We will continue to inform you.”
