It was an ordinary Monday morning — until entire cities went dark without warning. What started as isolated reports quickly turned into a continent-wide scramble as parts of Europe were plunged into a sudden blackout. So, where exactly did the power fail?
Spain and Portugal suffer worst impact from Europe’s blackout
Spain bore the brunt of the outage, with huge parts of the country left without electricity.
From Madrid’s bustling streets to the heart of Barcelona, cities across the country ground to a halt. Traffic lights stopped working, metros froze, and people poured out of shops and offices, confused and searching for answers. Even major events, like the Madrid Open tennis tournament, were disrupted.
Down in Portugal, it was no better. Officials confirmed a near-total power cut, affecting everyday life from Lisbon to Faro. Airports had to switch to emergency generators just to keep operations ticking over, and the delays and chaos quickly mounted.
Both countries spent most of the afternoon trying to piece the grid back together, inch by inch.
France, Germany, Italy and Andorra affected by Europe’s blackout
It wasn’t just the Iberian Peninsula. Parts of south-west France reported brief outages too, especially close to the Spanish border. French authorities acted fast, trying to reroute electricity to help their neighbours. Their quick moves helped stop things from getting worse — but it was a clear sign of just how tightly Europe’s power grids are linked these days.
Germany and Italy also saw short-lived disruptions, although they managed to recover faster. Over in Andorra, wedged between France and Spain, locals also found themselves without power for parts of the day.
It’s worth noting that while these countries weren’t hit as hard as Spain and Portugal, the effects still rippled across their systems, causing small but significant problems.
What’s behind the blackout? No clear answers yet
Right now, officials are still investigating exactly what went wrong. Early reports point to a rare weather-related phenomenon — a kind of ‘atmospheric vibration‘ — which may have disrupted the high-voltage lines over Spain. But nothing’s been confirmed yet.
One thing authorities are ruling out for the moment? Cyber-attacks. Both Spanish and Portuguese leaders have been quick to say there’s no evidence of foul play, though investigations are ongoing.
Whatever the cause, the blackout knocked out an estimated 100,000 megawatts across Europe — a huge hit that shows just how fragile even modern energy systems can be.
For millions across Spain, Portugal and beyond, it was a few hours they won’t forget anytime soon — a reminder that even in 2025, the lights can still go out in a flash.