Nationwide Power Outage Disrupts Portugal, Affects Other Countries

Portugal experienced a nationwide power outage that also affected Spain, France, and other European countries, disrupting airports, public transit, and mobile networks, with the Lisbon Metro and traffic lights ceasing operation. The outage led to significant flight cancellations, particularly at Lisbon Airport, and caused widespread traffic congestion and panic-buying at supermarkets and fuel stations. While the Portuguese government declared an energy crisis and prioritized essential services, electricity was restored to most regions by late Monday, but full normalization could take up to a week. Authorities in Portugal and Spain are investigating the cause, including the possibility of a cyberattack, but both Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and other officials have stated there is no indication of such an attack, and the fault likely originated in Spain.