‘This is what a power outage in Europe looks like’, Twitter users share videos as massive blackout hits Spain, Portugal and France

A major power outage has affected Spain, Portugal, and parts of southern France, leaving millions without electricity. The blackout has crippled mobile networks, halted public transport including metro lines and has also led to suspension of Madrid Open tennis matches at the Manzanares Park Tennis Center. The Spanish and Portuguese governments, along with REE and other utility companies, have activated emergency plans and launched investigations into the cause of the outage. As several European cities plunged into darkness, many users took to social media to show how the power outage has impacted lives, bringing them to a standstill. Take a look










While the exact reason of the power outage is still not known and is reportedly under investigation, online reports suggest that it is caused because of a malfunction in the European power grid.
In a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter), grid operator Red Electrica said “The causes are being analyzed, and all resources are being dedicated to addressing the issue.”

REN, Portugal's grid operator, told Sky News that the outage was caused by a fault in the Spanish electricity grid, related to a "rare atmospheric phenomenon". It said that due to extreme temperature variations in Spain, there were "anomalous oscillations" in very high-voltage lines, which caused synchronisation failures between systems.
The blackout also sparked fears of a possible cyberattack. However, European Commission Executive Vice President Teresa Ribera, a former Spanish minister, cautioned that no evidence currently points to sabotage or a cyberattack. “We are investigating with utmost caution to determine the specific causes of this incident, one of the most serious in Europe in recent times,” Ribera said.

The outage started around 12:30PM CET (4:00PM IST). As per a statement given by Red Electrica to Bloomberg, the power outage may take up to ten hours to fully restore.

“Air traffic in Spain and Portugal is being impacted by widespread electrical outages affecting both countries. We’re not yet seeing widespread cancellations, but we are monitoring the situation as it develops,” reads a tweet by Flightradar24.