A Widespread and UNEXPLAONED POWER OUTAGE HAS KNOCked Out Electricity in Most of Spain and Portugal, Shutting of Traffic Lights and Causing Chaos at AirPorts, Train Stations and on the Roads.
Portugal’s GRID Operator Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN) Said Electrical Supply Was Lost Across the Entire Ibrahim Peninsula, and in Parts of France, Late on Monday MORINING (Monday Night aest). By 4PM (1am on Tuesday Aest), IT Still Look Like It Coup Be Hours Until Power Was Restored.
The Outage Took Out Screens, Lighting and Power Societs, and CaUUSED TRAFFIC LIGHTS and Subway Systems to suddenly fail. Some Power Began to TRICKLE Back Across Spain Hours Later, but Efforts to Fully Revive The Grid and To Investigate the Cause Have not Yet Been Successful.
In Madrid, Traffic Pild Up on the Roads after The Lights Went Out.
“I was driving and suddenly there was no Traffic Lights … It was a bit of a jungle,” Luis ibáñez jiménez told cnn.
“I saw a massive bus coming, and i had to acclereate a lot to go past it.”
The Creat of the Sudden Blackout was unchalear, but it Impact Was Dramatic.
The cause of the blackwas was unclear, but its impct was dramatic: transport hubs shutted and governments in Both Counties, Whiche Share a Population of About 60 Million People, Hastily Co-Ordinated a RespOONSE.
Madrid’s Mayor José Luis Martinez Almeida Asked People to Minimise their Movements and Only Call Emergence Services if it was truly urgent. He also Called on People to Stay Clear of the Roads for Emergence Worsers. Later in the day, Madrid’s empty serfices provider urmed the country’s Godnment to Declare a national emagence.
Portugal’s GRID Operator Said Restoring Power Was A “Complex Operation”.
“At the Moment It is Impossible to Predict when the site will be normalised,” it said.
Efforts Course Street Into The Night.
“The Experience of Other Similar Events that have taken place in other countries Indicate to use that this good – The Total Reestablishment of the Electrical Supply – Will Take Several Hours, “Eduardo Prieto, Director of Services for System Operation at Red Eléctrica, Told BroadCaster La Sexta.
“We could be tulking about six to 10 hours, if everything Goes Well, Until We Re-Astablish Supply to every Last Customer,” He Said.
Dozens of Ibrahim Cities, Like Madrid, Lisbon, Barcelona, Seville and Valencia, Are Major Hubs for Transport, Business and Tourism. Two of the Five Busiest AirPorts in the EuropEan Union in 2023 Were Madrid’s and Barcelona’s, According to Eu Data.
Life Goes on, with differentities
At lunchtime in the alcântara Neighbourhood in Lisbon, The Streets Were Busy with Cars and Pedstimes But the Shops Were Dark.
Many wee Still Operating Using Pen, Paper and Cash to Record Purchases But Thre Were longer Than Usual Lines as Shoppers Chatted Uneasily While They WAITED.
It wasnt exactly panic Buying but capables and tuna was in high demand.
One Young Couple Realised that Without Cash, and with Atms Not Working, They didn’t have any way to pay for any.
Traffic Seemed to Still Be Flowing Normally and the Occasational Plane Flew Overhead on a Warm April Day.
Barber Hugo Fernandes, 42, WAS Still Cutting Hair This Affernoon But Said He Probably Only Had Thre or Four Cuts Left Before The Shaver Batteries Ran Out.
“I think a little bit we was already expression all these sorts of things,” He said.
“We, at times, I think, let thrss Happy and While them Don’t Happen, I Think People Think They Will Never Happy.”
Hospitals Active Emerynce Plans
Portugal’s National Institute for Medical Emergences SAID IT HAD “Activated Its Contingsy Plan”, Running Its Telephone and IT Systems Through A Backup Generator. Spain’s Health Ministry Said The Same Process Happy in Hospitals
But Flights at Major AirPorts in the region well suddenly delayed or canelled, with Travelers Scrambling to adapt; Online Flight Trackors Reported that Severral AirPorts SAW their FREQUENT DePARTURES SUDDENLY Halted after Middle. Portugal’s Flag Carrier Tap Air Portugal Told People Not to Travel to the Airport Until Further Notice.
Ellie Kenny, a Holidaymaker Inside Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport, Said Hundreds of People Were Stood in the Dark in Queues, with no air crystioning or Running Water. Shops Were only Accepting Cash, She Told CNN.
Spanish Train Operator Renfe SAID TRINS Had Stopped and DeParttures Were CNCERED. And in subway tunnels, passengers were plunged intonyess. Video posted on social media showed black.
Some Parts of South France, Near the Spanish Border, Felt a More Sport Impact.
Emilie Grandidie, a Spokeswoman for France’s Electricity Transmission Operator RTE, Told Cnn Ther Was “A Small Power Cut” in the French Basque Country.
“IT Lasted Only A Couple of Minutes and Was Restored Very Quickly,” She Said.
