The effects of the blackout in Spain and Portugal. Over 100 flights canceled and railways paralyzed

The massive power outage that hit Spain, Portugal and southern France on Monday paralyzed the everyday lives of residents in those countries for several hours, and significantly disrupted air and rail connections.

In Spain, trains were stuck in a field for up to 10 hours, and passengers who did not lose their sense of humor showed how the hours spent in the wilderness passed, for example between Madrid and Seville. Residents of nearby towns helped passengers by bringing water and snacks.

The situation was much more serious at Lisbon Airport, where darkness reigned. One tourist at Humberto Delgado Airport said hundreds of people were waiting in lines, with no air conditioning or running water. Shops only accepted cash.

Blackout in Spain. What about flights in Madrid and Barcelona?

The BBC reports that around 96 flights were grounded from Portuguese airports on Monday due to the blackout, with Lisbon being the worst affected. “The general power outage may cause operational restrictions. Please contact your airline before travelling to the airport,” Lisbon Airport said on Tuesday morning. A total of 45 flights were cancelled in Spain, with Barcelona and Madrid airports the worst affected.

Currently, the situation is returning to normal in Spain, but there may be disruptions to air traffic.

"Due to the power outage, there are some incidents at airports. Emergency generators are active. Please contact your airline as there may be disruptions to access and ground transportation," reads the current message on the Madrid airport website.

Some morning arrivals at Madrid-Barajas and Barcelona-El Prat airports show a "cancelled" status.

Public transport in the Spanish capital will start operating on Tuesday morning, albeit with restrictions. "The Madrid metro will start operating at 8:00 a.m. on the entire network, except line 7A. Eighty percent of the normal morning trains during rush hour will run," said the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Diaz Ayuso.

Portugal's National Cybersecurity Centre said there were no signs the power outage was caused by a cyberattack.

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