A major power outage affected Spain, Portugal, and other parts of France on Monday, April 28, 2025. Electricity was suddenly cut for millions of people. The blackout late in the morning started in big cities like Madrid, Lisbon, Barcelona. All airports, hospitals, metro systems and mobile networks suffered problems. People were stranded across cities with many businesses forced to close.
The outage was confirmed nationwide in Portugal. Spain also saw widespread blackouts. Other parts of southern France and Andorra also had power cuts. Outages reached Belgium in some reports, although a matter of just a few small outages.
Effects on Daily Life
Most of these major disruptions were caused by the power outage. Barajas Airport in Madrid and Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon were closed. Other European cities, to Spain and Portugal, had flights canceled. There were hundreds of stranded travelers at airports.
Madrid and Lisbon metro trains stopped between stations, and stopped at stations at times, trapping passengers in tunnels. La Paz in Madrid and other hospitals in Portugal faced problems in continuing surgeries and treatments. Backup generators were sometimes available at some hospitals, but they also had lost their water supplies and internet connection.
But citizens were asked by emergency services not to call 112 unless it was an emergency. Helping people who needed urgent help could have been delayed due to overloading the phone lines. Big losses were also suffered by shops, restaurants, and cafes. Also, many business owners were concerned about spoiled food. The ice cream shop worker in Madrid said ambitious to lose dozens of vats of ice cream if the electricity didn’t come soon. In butcher shops, owners were cranking to keep refrigerators at a close temperature and save meat.
Why Did the Power Go Out?
The reason for the blackout is still under investigation. But there are a few possible reasons early reports cited. In some cases, a high voltage power line between Perpignan and Narbonne has been damaged in southern France, say some experts. That would have catalyzed a domino effect on the European power grid, downing Spain and Portugal hard.
Some are looking into the possibility that the company was attacked through a cyberattack. This idea has been considered by the Spanish and the Portuguese governments. Yet cybersecurity experts have yet to say there is proof a cyberattack led to the blackout. Red Electrica, an energy company of Spain, and REN, an energy company of Portugal, are still checking the full cause. Such a large failure is extremely rare, they have said.
How Is Power Being Restored?
By Monday afternoon, Red Electrica said parts of Spain, Portugal had power returned. In the Basque Country and parts of southern Spain, electricity was restored to the north. French electricity services had moreover mostly returned, said French authorities.
It will take time to be restored to full power. It could take between 6 to 10 hours to re-establish the rest of the network, the experts said. Hospitals, airports and public safety services were the main things they focused on first. Spain and Portugal are working closely with the European Commission to resolve the problem, it said. National governments and European energy operators turned in for a quick cooperation, which they praised.
Conclusion
The April 28, 2025, power outage was huge, given that it affected the lives of millions and caused major disruptions. The event was fragile, and while the full cause is still being investigated, this is the result. In addition, it showed why emergency services and backup systems are necessary. The power came back slowly, and recovery efforts were quick. The day will be remembered by many businesses and citizens, for sure.
