Portuguese grid operator: Extreme weather in Spain causes widespread power failure

The Portuguese electricity grid operator Ren has announced that a significant power grid failure on the Iberian Peninsula has been traced to a "rare atmospheric phenomenon" in Spain.

The disruption was caused by extreme temperature fluctuations in the inland areas of Spain, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

These unusual weather conditions led to instability in the power grid, affecting not only Spain but also neighbouring Portugal. 

Ren further stated that it could take up to a week to fully restore normal operations to the Portuguese electrical network, as teams work to address the widespread outages caused by the severe atmospheric disturbances.

Spokesman from Spain's Red Eléctrica national electricity grid operator announced that the restoration of power grid, which suffered a massive outage, is expected to take between 6 to 10 hours. 

The spokesman described the power failure as "exceptional and extremely unusual", acknowledging the severity and widespread impact of the incident. 

The outage has affected multiple regions across the country, leaving millions without power and disrupting essential services, including transportation and communications. 

After a massive blackout plunged Spain into chaos, efforts are now underway to restore power across the country, with crews working tirelessly in both the north and south to bring normalcy back to millions of affected residents.  The blackouts, which began around 12:15 pm (GMT+2), have severely affected nearly all of Spain and Portugal, with additional reports indicating disruptions in parts of France, Andorra, and Belgium.

In Madrid and Lisbon, several metro and rail passengers were left stranded, while international airports in both cities, along with others across the Iberian Peninsula, were forced to close.  

By Naila Huseynova