Power Restored Across Spain Amidst Unprecedented Outage

Electricity services have been successfully restored in approximately 90% of Spain following a significant power outage that occurred on Monday, as reported by the country's electricity grid operator early Tuesday morning.

In neighboring Portugal, most areas have also regained power after the disruption, with 85 out of 89 transformer stations now operational according to the national operator REN.

The outage initially took place around lunchtime, affecting mobile networks, shopping centers, traffic lights, and airports. The blackout had widespread implications, disrupting daily life in both Spain and Portugal.

The chaos was particularly evident in Spain, where the Madrid airport was left in total darkness, train services halted, and the subway system had to be evacuated. The failure of traffic signals resulted in significant traffic congestion, causing many residents to rush to stockpile fuel and food supplies.

The restoration efforts have faced challenges, with half of Spanish households and two-thirds of Portuguese homes still without electricity ten hours after the initial outage.

This incident marks the largest power failure in Spain's history, yet the exact cause remains unclear. Speculation abounds, but reliable information is lacking. Authorities from both Spain and Portugal have stated they do not suspect any form of attack, such as a cyber assault.

Preliminary analyses have pointed to extreme temperature fluctuations within the electrical grid as a potential cause. According to the Portuguese grid operator REB, this led to a synchronization failure within the systems, which was described as an unusual atmospheric phenomenon.

In response to the crisis, Spain's Ministry of the Interior declared a national state of emergency, and the government announced the deployment of 30,000 police officers to assist during the outage.

The Spanish Nuclear Safety Council has also entered a state of heightened alert to ensure the safety of the country's five major nuclear power plants during this unprecedented situation.

By late evening, about half of the electricity supply had been restored, and by Tuesday morning, power was back on for nearly all of Spain and Portugal.