"Avoid all unnecessary travel" - Power outage in Spain and Portugal

Large parts of Spain and Portugal have been without electricity since Monday afternoon due to a major network failure. The cause is not yet known, but authorities are certainly not ruling out a cyberattack at this time.

The consequences for daily life in Spain and Portugal are significant on Monday. Trains and metros came to a standstill, traffic lights went out and people were stuck in lifts. No plane landed at Lisbon airport up to 4.30pm. Airports in Barcelona have reduced the number of incoming flights to twenty per hour and emergency generators had to be activated. Network operator Red Eléctrica calls it an “absolutely exceptional and extraordinary” incident.

It will take six to ten hours before power is restored to the entire country. The Spanish network operator Red Eléctrica announced this on Monday afternoon. "We face an unprecedented challenge", said director Eduardo Prieto. As a result, Spaniards and Portuguese should hopefully have power again late Monday evening. The Portuguese aviation authority is already asking people not to come to the airports.

In the meantime, the Portuguese police are urging the public to reduce their speed while driving, respect traffic signs and rules, and be extra attentive while driving - if journeys are absolutely necessary, as the advice is to avoid driving as much as possible.

(FVDV - Source: EL PAÍS - Illustration: ©Unsplash)