A widespread power outage struck Spain and Portugal on Monday, leaving millions without electricity in a sudden blackout. The disruption has significantly impacted daily operations, including flight delays and shutdowns at Porto Airport.
In Portugal, the blackout occurred late in the morning, affecting the entire nation. Similar reports of outages emerged from Spain, indicating the extensive reach of the power failure.
The European Commission released a statement on Monday afternoon, confirming its communication with national authorities in Spain and Portugal, as well as the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E), to determine the cause and effects of the outage. The statement assured that existing EU protocols are in place to restore the system’s functionality.
At the European People’s Party congress in Valencia, confusion ensued as the blackout took hold. Officials struggled to provide information regarding the situation. Many individuals found themselves in precarious circumstances, such as being trapped in elevators, while essential services like phone networks and WiFi were disrupted. The blackout also led to the closure of cafes and halted transactions, creating a period of uncertainty and inconvenience.
