Widespread blackout hits Portugal and parts of Spain

Lisbon, Portugal – A widespread blackout affected regions across Portugal and parts of Spain on Monday morning. The blackout began around 11:30 AM local time, causing power outages from north to south.

Reports indicate that nearly all municipalities in the districts of Braga and Viana do Castelo experienced electricity failures. Major cities like Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra, Braga, and Viseu have been severely impacted. In a statement to NiT, a representative from the Carris public transport agency confirmed that traffic lights were non-operational due to the power cut.

The outage also spread to Spain, specifically affecting areas such as Madrid and Málaga. E-Redes, the electricity network operator, attributed the disruption to a problem in the European electrical grid that consequently impacted the national network. They noted, “To ensure grid stability, specific areas had to have power cuts.”

Residents were left seeking information, but the E-Redes website went down during the crisis. An official from Hospital Curry Cabral reported challenges accessing computer systems, raising concerns about stored vaccines at risk of spoiling.

As the authorities work to restore power, the situation remains under observation. Emergency services, including INEM, activated contingency plans utilizing backup generators.

This outage has prompted significant disruptions in trade, services, and transportation across the affected regions, affecting daily life for many residents.