European Blackout: When the Lights Went Out

Dear reader,

By the time you notice something's wrong, it's already happened: the fridge stops humming, the lights die, and the house falls silent.

Yesterday's massive power outage across the Iberian Peninsula was the largest blackout in modern European history.

I thought I would share my story (I live in Portugal) and some advice.

Table of Contents

• Watching from the Dark: A Personal Note

• Anatomy of a Continental Crisis

• What caused it?

• Be Ready Next Time

Watching from the Dark: A Personal Note

I was at my desk in our countryside home in central Portugal when everything went quiet. At first, I thought it was just our rural grid acting up again, a fallen tree, perhaps, or a transformer issue down the road.

The electricity vanished at half-past noon. Fortunately, as someone who's spent decades telling others to prepare for the unexpected, I had my own house in order.

We pulled out our emergency kit, set up the portable solar panels on the terrace, and kept our devices charging while we assessed the situation.

What became clear as the afternoon wore on was that this wasn't local. With each passing hour and each failed attempt to reconnect to any network, we realised the scale of what was happening.

By mid-afternoon, with no communication (my mobile showed "SOS only" where network bars should be) and limited information, we did what any sensible Portuguese would do; we drove into town for a drink.

The local café had some electricity by then, and the scene was oddly festive: neighbours exchanging scraps of information, someone's battery radio tuned to emergency broadcasts, impromptu walks with the dog etc...

And it made me think: how prepared are most of us for when modern life's scaffolding suddenly collapses?

Anatomy of a Continental Crisis

What we now know is that at precisely 10:33 GMT (11:33 in Portugal, 12:33 in Spain), a massive fault rippled through the European grid. Within seconds, Spain lost 15 gigawatts of power generation—about 60% of its national demand—causing a catastrophic cascading failure. The blackout spread quickly:

Spain and Portugal bore the brunt, with major cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon and Porto plunged into darkness. Southwest France experienced shorter outages near the Spanish border, and Andorra suffered minor disruptions throughout the day. Even Germany and Italy registered brief ripples in their grid stability

By early afternoon, parts of Spain saw restoration beginning, with the Basque Country and Barcelona coming back online. Madrid regained power by evening. Portugal's recovery was slower but steady—by late evening, all 89 of Portugal's electrical substations were functioning again. This morning, most areas had their power back, though investigations were only beginning.

The effects were dramatic: airports operating on emergency power, metros and trains halted mid-journey, hospitals switching to backup generators, and traffic lights dead at busy intersections. Mobile networks failed, and banking systems went offline. The modern digital economy simply stopped.

What caused it?

Early investigations point to a fault in the high-voltage connection between France and Spain, possibly triggered by a physical failure. Some reports mention "induced atmospheric vibration" causing anomalous oscillations in power lines, while others point to a fire near a critical transmission point in southwest France.

What's clear is that there was no evidence of cyberattack or sabotage, despite early speculation. Experts call it "exceptional and extraordinary", a stark reminder of just how interconnected our systems are and how quickly they can fail.

Be Ready Next Time

If this yesterday taught us anything, it's that resilience is a necessity. Below, you'll find my practical guide for blackout preparedness. It's not fear-mongering; it's just simple, practical steps that make sense even if nothing ever happens again.

The mini guide covers:

• Essential emergency kit components

• Home and appliance safety during outages

• Communication planning when networks fail

• Special considerations for medical needs

• Transport considerations

• General safety and comfort tips

Do yourself a favour and download it. Print a copy. Keep it somewhere obvious.

The time to think about power outages isn't when you're sitting in the dark. As we saw this week, modern systems are remarkable but fragile.

The next time the lights go out, whether it's for an hour or a day, you'll be glad you prepared. And maybe, like me, you'll find yourself having an unexpected drink with neighbours while the world reboots itself. 😅

Keep safe. Philippe

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