« Nothing works, even the water has been cut off! »
Similar problems affected the continent in 2024, when the global failure of IT systems grounded hundreds of aircraft throughout Europe. Now, however, the inhabitants of Spain and Portugal feel the effects.
Blackout in Europe caused by a rare phenomenon. The weather was at fault
« The first problems with card payments appeared soon, and a moment later shops began to be closed »
– Nothing works. ATMs are closed, stores are closed one by one – says Patryk. – The failure began just after 12:00. Soon the first problems with card payments appeared, and a moment later shops began to be closed. Getting basic articles was really difficult – he reports.
A trip to a nearby Porto, one of the greatest metropolises of Portugal, did not make sense. « I didn’t even have anything to get there, because the trains don’t run. » In Porto Metro stopped, the shops are closed, and there is communication chaos on the streets – added our student.
As Patryk says, the situation deteriorated even more after 18:00. – Nothing works, even the water has been cut off! Fortunately, a friend showed us a shop that remained open as one of the few. We did shopping and we can cook something – but only on gas. Because there is no electricity anywhere, and without it no electric stove or household appliances operate – he reports.
In Portugal and Spain, there is more and more talk about a possible cyber attack. Such suggestions appeared in the statements of the President of Andalusia and one of the Portuguese ministers. However, there is no official confirmation. – We hear different things, but I think I prefer to wait for some specific. There is no point in repeating some unconfirmed rumors – Patryk Wójcik tells us at the end.
A known reason for failure? A surprising phenomenon
A powerful failure occurred on Monday around 12:30. The problems covered almost the entire continental Spain and a significant part of Portugal. In Madrid and Lisbon, traffic lights and metro stopped working. Railway connections and the functioning of airports have also been paralyzed. In Portugal, power failure hindered the work of some hospitals.
The Portuguese Energy Operator Ren announced that interruptions in electricity supply are the result of a problem that appeared in the Spanish transmission network. The failure was to cause rapid temperature changes in central Spain, which led to fluctuations in tension in the highest voltage networks. This resulted in problems with the synchronization of the Spanish and Portuguese networks, as well as disruption in the energy systems of other European countries.
According to Ren, the restoration of full system efficiency can take up to several days.
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Violet Santos Moura / Reuters
The bus passengers expect in a giant street traffic jam caused by a power failure.
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Patricia de Melo Moreira / AFP
Pedestrians pass by the immobilized tram in the center of Lisbon during a power failure.
