Spain, Portugal restore electricity supply after outage

Power had almost fully returned to Spain early Tuesday morning as many questions remained about what caused one of Europe’s most severe blackouts that grounded flights, paralyzed metro systems, disrupted mobile communications and shut down ATMs across Spain and Portugal.

By 6:30 a.m., more than 99% of energy demand in Spain had been restored, the country's electricity operator Red Eléctrica said.

Power had gradually returned to several regions across Spain and Portugal as the nations reeled from the still-unexplained widespread blackout that had turned airports and train stations into campgrounds for stranded travelers. By Monday night, Portuguese grid operator REN said 85 out of 89 power substations were back online.

Monday night, many city residents, including in Spain’s capital of Madrid, went to sleep in total darkness. The normally illuminated cathedral spires of Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia Basilica became indistinguishable from the night sky. Streets remained deserted even in neighborhoods where lights flickered back on, as people stayed home after a day of chaos.

“We have a long night ahead,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said when he addressed the European nation late Monday. “We are working with the goal of having power restored to the entire country.”

In Madrid, cheers erupted from balconies where the electricity had returned.

Subway service back

On Tuesday morning, Madrid's metro system said service would be restored on all but one line by 8 a.m., meaning that 80% of trains would be operating again during rush hour.

As metro service stopped on Monday, train stations cleared out and shops and offices closed, and thousands of people spilled onto the streets of Madrid.

Emergency workers in Spain said they rescued some 35,000 passengers stranded along railways and underground. By 11 p.m., there were still 11 trains backed up by the power loss awaiting evacuation, Sánchez said.

The blackout turned sports centers, train stations and airports into makeshift refuges late Monday.