Spain-Portugal power outage live: Blackout could last up to a week due to ‘rare atmospheric phenomenon’

Massive power outages have swept through Spain and Portugal, reportedly caused by a “rare atmospheric phenomenon,” with some grid operators warning that full restoration may take up to a week. The outages, attributed to extreme temperature variations in Spain’s interior, have caused widespread disruption, including power losses in major cities like Madrid, Lisbon, Seville, Barcelona, and Valencia. These cities have experienced severe travel chaos, especially at airports, where over 500 flights were scheduled to operate from the UK to Spain and Portugal. Power cuts have also affected the underground metro systems and halted train services in several regions, leaving passengers stranded. Additionally, the Madrid Open tennis tournament had to suspend play due to the outage, and numerous international and domestic flights were delayed or cancelled. The Spanish electricity grid monitoring company E-Redes stated that the problem is part of a broader European issue. Ukraine has offered its assistance to restore the power networks, sharing its experience from similar energy disruptions caused by the Russian attacks on its own infrastructure.