On Monday, a significant power outage plunged a metro station in Madrid and many other areas into darkness, affecting millions across the Iberian Peninsula and parts of southern France. The blackout, which began around lunchtime local time, was felt across Spain, Portugal, and in several southern French cities, leading to widespread disruptions and raising concerns among residents and officials alike.

Spain's grid operator, Red Elctrica, swiftly addressed the situation through a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), stating that they were actively analyzing the causes of the outage and dedicating all available resources to restore power as quickly as possible. As night fell, around 7:30 p.m. local time, the operator reported that approximately one-fifth of the peninsula's power demand had been successfully restored.

By 5 p.m. local time, reports indicated that electricity was gradually returning to several regions, including Catalonia, Aragon, the Basque Country, Galicia, Asturias, Navarre, Castile and Leon, Extremadura, and Andalusia. However, despite these efforts, Red Elctrica estimated that it would take between six to ten hours for the entire power grid to be fully operational again, according to the Spanish news agency EFE.

Eduardo Prieto, the Director of Services for System Operations at Red Elctrica, described the incident as "absolutely exceptional and extraordinary." He explained that the blackout was likely precipitated by a "very strong oscillation in the electrical network," which caused Spain's power system to disconnect from the broader European grid, resulting in the collapse of the Iberian electricity network at exactly 12:38 p.m.

In Portugal, Rede Eltrica Nacional, the company responsible for electricity transmission and management, confirmed that they were working diligently to restore power but acknowledged the complexities involved in addressing a complete power outage. These challenges underscore the fragility of the electricity infrastructure and the ripple effects that outages can have across borders.

Additionally, concerns have arisen regarding the potential for a cyberattack as the cause of the blackout. Spain's National Cybersecurity Institute has initiated an investigation into this possibility, as local media reports suggest that the disruption may not have been purely technical in nature.

Reports from the French regional newspaper L'Indpendant indicated that isolated power outages were also experienced in southern French cities, including Perpignan. The implications of the blackout extended beyond homes and streetlights, as operations at train stations, airports, businesses, and major public buildings across the affected areas came to a standstill, creating chaos for commuters and travelers.