'Exceptional' power outage in Spain and Portugal affects millions of people

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — An unprecedented blackout brought much of Spain and Portugal to a standstill Monday, stopping trains, cutting phone service and shutting down traffic lights and ATMs for millions of people across the Iberian Peninsula.

Spanish power distributor Red Eléctrica declined to speculate on the cause of the power outage that began around 12:30 p.m. Madrid time and said restoring power fully could take six to 10 hours. Head of operations Eduardo Prieto told journalists it was unprecedented, calling the event “exceptional and extraordinary.” By 8:35 p.m., only 35% of energy demand had been restored, Prieto said hours later.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said a “strong oscillation” in the European grid was behind the outage but the cause was still being determined. He asked the public to refrain from speculation, and urged people to call emergency services only if really necessary.

It was the second serious European power outage in less than six weeks after a March 20 fire shut down Heathrow Airport in the U.K., and it came as authorities across Europe gird against sabotage backed by Russia.

The Portuguese National Cybersecurity Center in a statement said there was no sign the outage was due to a cyberattack. Teresa Ribera, European Commission executive vice president in charge of promoting clean energy, indicated the same to journalists in Brussels and called the power outage “one of the most serious episodes recorded in Europe in recent times.”

Spanish and Portuguese capitals affected

The outage began after midday. Offices closed and traffic was snarled in major cities. In Barcelona civilians directed traffic. Train services in both countries stopped, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded. It wouldn’t be possible to restart trains later Monday even if the power returned, Spain’s Transportation Minister Oscar Puente posted on social media.

The subway systems shut down. “I don’t know how I am going to get home,” said Barcelona resident Ivette Corona as she watched a large group of people fail to get on a bus that briefly stopped to squeeze in a couple of passengers.

In Madrid, hundreds of people at a bus stop that takes travelers to the airport were trying to hitch-hike. Some held improvised signs to convince drivers to take them.

“I’ve been here for almost three hours, trying to get someone to take me to the airport because my family arrived today and I can’t talk to them. This is terrifying,” said Jessica Fernandez, one of the many people at the bus stop.

Hospitals and other emergency services switched to generators. Among those most affected were homebound patients dependent on oxygen machines. Gas stations stopped working.

It was not possible to make calls or send text messages on most mobile phone networks, though some people managed to connect on certain messaging apps with intermittent data connections. People searched stores for battery-powered radios to stay informed.

It is rare to have such a widespread outage across the Iberian Peninsula, with a combined population of about 60 million people. Spain’s Canary Islands, Balearic Islands and the territories of Ceuta and Melilla, located across the Mediterranean in Africa, were not affected.

Spain's prime minister convened an extraordinary meeting of the National Security Council. Four regions of Spain declared an emergency and asked the central government in Madrid to take over management of the crisis. The Portuguese Cabinet convened an emergency meeting at the prime minister’s residence. Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said he had spoken several times to Sánchez and expected power to be restored by the end of the day.

Portugal’s government said the outage appeared to stem from problems outside the country, an official told national news agency Lusa.

Electricity was being pulled from Morocco and France to restore power to southern and northern Spain, Spain's prime minister said, thanking their governments. Spain was also increasing the production from hydroelectric and combined cycle thermal power plants.

Airports working on backup systems

A graph on Spain’s electricity network website showing demand across the country indicated a steep drop around 12:30 p.m. from 27,500 megawatts to near 15,000 megawatts.

Spanish airports were operating on backup electrical systems and some flights were delayed, according to Aena, which runs 56 airports in Spain, including Madrid and Barcelona.

In Lisbon, terminals closed and tourists sat outside waiting for news about flights.

“We haven’t seen any plane arriving or departing in the 50 minutes we’ve been waiting here,” Dutch tourist Marc Brandsma told The Associated Press.

The Spanish Parliament in Madrid closed. Play at the Madrid Open tennis tournament was suspended.

Some took advantage of the lack of connectivity to enjoy the sunshine on restaurant terraces, parks and beaches. Barcelona’s streets filled with throngs of people milling in front of darkened stores and exchanging information.

“We are lucky. Some people got trapped in the metro. And there is a positive side: We are talking more with each other,” said Monste Cortés in Barcelona. She said dinner would be sliced bread and cold cuts.

The owner of a popular ice-cream shop in Madrid began giving ice cream away to people passing by. “After about two hours that the power went out, I realized that the ice cream would start going bad," said owner Mario Solares. He said he estimated his losses at about 3,000 euros. "Hopefully we can recover some of this money with the insurance or some other way, we’ll see,” Solares added.

The hunt for connectivity

As hours passed, so did the concern of those unable to reach loved ones. Authorities in Barcelona have set up shelters for those unable to return home to spend the night.

Rubén Elvira, his wife and two daughters joked with friends on parting that they would have to “write letters” to communicate.

In Terrassa, an industrial town 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Barcelona, stores selling generators were out of stock.

Portugal’s National Authority for Emergencies and Civil Protection said backup power systems were operating.

In Portugal, a country of some 10.6 million people, police placed more officers on duty to cope with increased requests for help, including from people trapped in elevators.

Several Lisbon subway cars were evacuated, reports said. Courts stopped work and ATMs and electronic payment systems were affected.

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Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal. Associated Press journalists Helena Alves in Lisbon, Tales Azzoni and Alicia Léon in Madrid, Joseph Wilson and Hernán Muñoz in Barcelona, Spain, and Emma Burrows in London contributed.