Lights Restored in Spain and Portugal: The Mystery Behind Their Unexpected Outage Remains Unsolved.

Power was nearly fully restored in Spain and Portugal by early Tuesday after a significant outage affected tens of millions in both countries and parts of France. The blackout, which occurred around noon on Monday, paralyzed airports, disrupted transportation, and halted daily life. In Portugal, all 6.4 million electricity consumers regained power, although some recovery was still needed at Lisbon’s main airport.

In Spain, grid operator Red Eléctrica reported that over 99% of the electric demand was being met, with all substations back in operation. Such extensive power failures are uncommon in Europe. The outage forced Spanish hospitals to suspend routine medical work, leading to a shutdown of several oil refineries.

Notably, the Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament was canceled mid-match when scoreboards and cameras lost power, requiring players to exit the court. Despite the power restoration, both nations remained under a state of emergency for a second day. Prime Minister Luis Montenegro of Portugal stated that the cause of the blackout remained unknown but indicated it likely originated in Spain.

His Spanish counterpart, Pedro Sanchez, echoed this sentiment, advising against speculation. Videos shared on social media showed celebrations across cities like Madrid and Barcelona as power slowly returned, highlighting a festive atmosphere amid the chaos. Many residents took advantage of the situation, enjoying picnics and dancing in parks, dubbing the experience a “digital detox.”

Others faced challenges during the blackout.

Hundreds were trapped in elevators, requiring nearly 200 rescues by emergency services in Madrid. Traffic signals failed, resulting in congested streets as authorities coordinated the chaos. American tourists found themselves stranded due to disrupted rail services and communication.

Many resorted to walking to the airport amid transportation shortages. In a show of solidarity, Ukraine’s President Volodyr Zelenskyy offered technical support, indicating readiness to assist. However, Spain managed to restore its power through local production and assistance from France and Morocco, with Portugal also generating its own electricity.