Power outage chaos in Portugal and Spain

In Barcelona and Madrid, failed traffic light systems caused chaos and traffic jams on the roads. Mobile phone networks and internet connections were also interrupted in many regions.

Madrid in the dark. Millions of people on the Iberian Peninsula were stuck in trains, streetcars and elevators. Hospitals had to resort to emergency power generators in order to continue supplying critical areas.

Many people quickly set off to stock up on food and water. In the stores, you could only pay with cash, as the card payment systems had also failed.

Customers search for food using the flashlight on their smartphones. The Spanish government declared a state of emergency, and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez personally chaired an emergency meeting. By the evening, the power supply had been restored in around 50% of the affected areas; by Tuesday morning, this figure had risen to around 90%.

Towards evening, people had to make do with flashlights and candles. France and Morocco provided support with emergency power supplies, and Spain activated additional capacity from hydroelectric and thermal power plants.

Nothing worked at Lisbon airport, either. Many travelers had to make their way on foot, as the cabs were also at full capacity. The governments in Madrid and Lisbon announced crisis meetings to analyze the extent of the incident and possible structural weaknesses.

The streetcars in Lisbon were at a standstill. There is usually a lot of hustle and bustle on these streets, but there were hardly any people out and about in the evening. Only the ancient street lamps could still illuminate the night.

After a hard night at the station and nine hours without electricity, internet and telephone, Madrid is once again connected to the outside world. Between 9.30 p.m. and 10.30 p.m., electricity returned to many neighborhoods. People celebrated loudly on the streets and balconies, singing “Y Viva Espana” and cheering from cars and windows.