Major blackout hits Europe: Spain, Portugal, and Andorra left without power
Illustrative photo: A large-scale power outage occurred in a number of European countries on April 28 (Getty Images)
On Monday, April 28, a number of European countries reported large-scale power outages. Millions of people remain without electricity.
Spain
According to media reports, around 12:30 p.m. (local time - ed.), a nationwide power outage occurred in Spain, with consumption dropping from 25,184 megawatts to 12,425 megawatts.
The outage affected the mainland, but did not impact the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Ceuta, or Melilla. The Canary Islands have six isolated systems, one on each island. These systems are disconnected from mainland Spain and from each other.
The Balearic Islands consist of two separate systems: Mallorca-Menorca and Ibiza-Formentera. These are interconnected, as well as connected to mainland Spain through an underwater cable.
Some hospitals, which were left without electricity, found themselves in critical situations. In some buildings, people were even trapped in elevators.
The outage also affected metro systems in major cities. In Madrid, the subway announced a shutdown, and workers in Barcelona confirmed that trains in the Catalan capital were also stopped, with passengers being evacuated through the tunnels.
Así se vivió el #apagón en el metro de Madrid.
— Alejandro Montes (@amontes_98) April 28, 2025
Imágenes que parecen sacadas de 'The Last Of Us'. pic.twitter.com/MeVyu9jtKf
Currently, Barcelona El Prat Airport is operating normally. Many cities also saw issues with traffic lights and shopping centers.
The reasons behind the large-scale outages are still unknown.
Portugal
Portugal is also experiencing power outages. Media reports indicate that the problems began almost simultaneously with those in Spain, around noon.
The disruptions paralyzed the normal functioning of infrastructure, communications, train stations, airports, businesses, and buildings.
There is no official explanation for the causes of what happened yet. However, the state company responsible for communications, Red Eléctrica, is working to resolve the issue. The National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE) is also investigating the possibility of a cyberattack, although they have not reached any conclusions at this point.
According to RBC-Ukraine, some cities in Portugal are facing problems with mobile networks and slowed internet, while stores are not operating.
In Madeira, sirens were triggered in some establishments.
The media also reports that the metro systems in the two main Portuguese cities, Lisbon and Porto, remain closed and non-operational due to the power outage.
Andorra
European media report that power outages were also registered in Andorra and partially in France.
According to the latest information, further disruptions are being reported as far as Belgium.
Sources: HuffPost, El País, La Vanguardia.
