Power cut in Europe - 26th May 2025

A power cut has caused huge problems in Spain, Portugal and southwestern France. The electricity grid problem began on 28th April, between 12.30 and 12.35.

The first area to be hit was south-west Spain. Buildings went dark. The internet and mobiles stopped working. Shops which use electronic systems shut.

Then, the whole network failed. People had to get off trains which were between stations. Airports switched to emergency generators. Flights were delayed or cancelled.

In major cities, people went into the streets to play games and chat with friends. Others took a siesta.

The first news reports said that there'd been a cyber attack. But that wasn't correct. There were also reports that temperature changes had put extra stress on power lines.

Another possible reason was solar energy, which is used a lot in Spain. Last year, 56 percent of all Spain's electricity came from renewable energy. But green energy production's less reliable than power stations. Because of this, 'grid balancing' systems, which manage energy levels on the network, may not work effectively.

If grid balancing was the cause, it'll be an expensive problem to fix. The upgrade across Europe's going to cost over three trillion euros.