Huge power outages are being reported from different parts of Europe. At the time of going to press outages have been reported from Spain, Portugal and even briefly from France. Authorities say fully restoring power could take anywhere between 6-10 hours. While the cause of the outage has not been revealed yet, let’s take a look at how things unfolded.
According to the BBC, trouble was first reported when traffic lights stopped functioning in Madrid causing huge traffic jams. Spain’s electricity grid operator Red Electrica confirmed to the publication that outages were taking place across the country. Trains were also forced to stop due to grid failure. Renfe, Spain’s national railway company said that the entire national grid was cut off at 12:30 local time. Matches at the ongoing Madrid Open also had to be suspended due to the power outage.
Shortly after this, reports of power outages disrupting traffic and train services also started emerging from Portugal. The country’s electricity company, just like their Spanish counterparts, started working to restore services. Reuters quoted a spokesperson of REN as saying, “All plans for the phased restoration of energy supply are being activated, in coordination with European energy producers and operators.”
Reuters also reported that parts of France also briefly experienced outages. The publication reported that grid operator RTE said there was a brief outage but power had been restored, and that it was investigating the cause.
Euro News reports that Madrid’s Barajas International Airport and Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado were closed in wake of the outage. It further said that flights from Brussels and other European cities to Spain and Portugal have been cancelled, leaving hundreds of commuters stranded. Mobile phone customers in Madrid and Lisbon also reported disruptions in cell phone services.
According to the publication, while no single or specific cause of the outages has been identified, issues with the European grid reportedly affected national grids in the Iberian Peninsula. Social media posts also show a fire, reportedly in south-west France that allegedly damaged a high-voltage power line.
W.Media is tracking this story, and we will keep updating new developments.