Dramatic videos show chaos unfolding across Spain and Portugal as massive power outage plunged millions into darkness with traffic lights down and trains grinding to a halt

Dramatic videos show how Spain and Portugal have plunged into chaos after a massive power outage sent millions into darkness.

The widespread outage has knocked out internet services, traffic lights and subway networks across Barcelona today.

Large crowds of commuters could be seen piling on to city buses as packed metro stations in the Catalonia capital went dark. Traffic lights and pedestrian crossing signals were also out.

Eerie footage shows commuters in Madrid being evacuated through tunnels as blackouts hit underground stations and halted trains.  

Travellers have complained that ‘nothing works’ inside or outside of the barely illuminated metro stations, with others claiming they were ‘forced to leave’. The Valencia metro has also suspended its entire service.

Metro system travellers in Lisbon were also seen attempting to use their phones in the pitch-black tunnels as staff assist with torches.

Airports have also been affected, with emergency generators turned on at Porto and Faro airport. Operations remain ‘limited’ at Lisbon, according to officials. 

Dozens of air travellers waiting in standstill traffic near Lisbon’s airport have exited vehicles and opted to walk in a last ditch hope to catch their flight, footage obtained by The Telegraph showed. But when they arrived at the terminal, the travellers were met yet again with long queues.

Parts of France has lost power and further outages have been reported as far as Belgium, according to the latest information. Authorities say the outage – the cause of which was not immediately known – could last from six to 10 hours.

Spain and Portugal were hit by a widespread power outage around midday Monday that paralysed public transport, caused large traffic jams and delayed flights.

The outage caused chaos in parts of Portugal and Spain as traffic lights stopped working, causing gridlock. Transport networks were halted, hospitals were left without power and people were trapped in the metro and in elevators.

In Madrid, hundreds of people stood in the streets outside office buildings and there was a heavy police presence around some important buildings, with officers directing traffic as well as driving along central atriums with lights.

The towering Torre Emperador skyscraper in the Spanish capital was evacuated via stairs. Worried people tried desperately to reach their children’s schools as the cell signal came and went.

In a video posted on X, Madrid Mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida urged the capital’s residents to minimize all travel and stay at their current locations if possible.

Airports reported delays. AENA, which manages 46 airports in Spain, reported flight delays around the country.

Portugal’s airport operator ANA said airports activated emergency generators which for now allows essential airport operations to be maintained at Porto and Faro airports.

‘In Lisbon, operations are ongoing but with limitations. So far, there have been no impacts on Madeira and Azores airports,’ it said.

Play has been suspended at the Madrid Open tennis tournament, forcing 15th seed Grigor Dimitrov and his British opponent Jacob Fearnley off court as scoreboards went dark and overhead cameras lost power.

The round of 32 match at the Manolo Santana Stadium where Dimitrov led Fearnley 6-4 5-4 had to be stopped due to a spidercam being left hanging too close to the court.

Fourth seed Coco Gauff, who beat Belinda Bencic 6-4 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals, had her post-match interview at the Arantxa Sanchez Stadium cut short with the microphone losing power.

The Spanish and Portuguese governments met to discuss the outage, which also briefly affected parts of France, and a crisis committee was set up in Spain, sources familiar with the situation said.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited electricity transmission operator Red Eléctrica’s control center.

‘The government is working to determine the origin and impact of this incident and is dedicating all resources to resolve it as soon as possible,’ the Spanish government said.

Red Electrica said it was working with regional energy companies to restore power. Portuguese utility REN said it had activated plans for the phased restoration of the electricity supply.

The European Commission said it was in contact with the authorities in Spain and Portugal and the European network of transmission system operators ENTSO-E to try to establish the cause of the outage.

The blackout brought much of Spain and Portugal to a standstill, halting subway trains, cutting phone service and shutting down traffic lights and ATM machines for the 50 million people who live across the Iberian Peninsula.

Spanish airports were operating on backup electrical systems and some flights were delayed, according to Aena, the company that runs 56 airports in Spain including Madrid and Barcelona.

In Lisbon, terminals closed and throngs of tourists sat outside in the sun and the shade waiting for news about their flights.

Barcelona’s streets filled with throngs of people on sidewalks, milling about in front of darkened stores and offices and exchanging information on what had happened.

Immediate concerns were which phone companies still had some, at least, spotty coverage, or where internet access might be found. Another concern was how to get home with the subway shut and public buses packed.

In Terrassa, an industrial town 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Barcelona, stores selling generators were out of stock after people lined up to buy them.

Portuguese hospitals and other emergency services switched to generators. Gas stations stopped working.

Portuga’s National Authority for Emergencies and Civil Protection said backup power systems were operating.

Several Lisbon subway cars were evacuated, reports said. Also in Portugal, courts stopped work and ATMs and electronic payment systems were affected.

Spanish power distributor Red Eléctrica said that restoring power to large parts of the country and neighboring Portugal could take 6-10 hours.

The company declined to speculate on the causes of the huge blackout. The Portuguese National Cybersecurity Center issued a statement saying there was no sign the outage was due to a cyberattack.

Eduardo Prieto, head of operations at Red Eléctrica, told journalists it was unprecedented, calling the event ‘exceptional and extraordinary.’

Spain and Portugal have a combined population of over 50 million people. It was not immediately clear how many were affected. It is rare to have such a widespread outage across the Iberian Peninsula.

In Portugal, a country of some 10.6 million people, the outage hit the capital, Lisbon, and surrounding areas, as well as northern and southern parts of the country.

Portugal’s government said the incident appeared to stem from problems outside the country, an official told national news agency Lusa.

‘It looks like it was a problem with the distribution network, apparently in Spain. It’s still being ascertained,’ Cabinet Minister Leitão Amaro was quoted as saying.

Portuguese distributor E-Redes said the outage was due to ‘a problem with the European electricity system,’ according to Portuguese newspaper Expresso. 

The company said it was compelled to cut power in specific areas to stabilize the network, according to Expresso.

Several Lisbon subway cars were evacuated, reports said. Also in Portugal, courts stopped work and ATMs and electronic payment systems were affected. Traffic lights in Lisbon stopped working.

It was not possible to make calls on mobile phone networks, though some apps were working.