Spain and Portugal hit by major power outage, halting trains and flights and wiping out traffic lights

A widespread and unexplained power outage knocked out electricity in most of Spain and Portugal on Monday, shutting off traffic lights and causing chaos at airports, train stations and on the roads.

Portugal’s grid operator Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN) said electrical supply was lost across the entire Iberian peninsula, and in parts of France, on Monday. It could be several hours until power is fully restored, Spain’s grid operator said, meaning parts of the two countries could be plunged into darkness once the sun sets.

The outage took out screens, lighting and power sockets, and caused traffic lights and subway systems to suddenly fail. Some power began to trickle back across Spain hours later, but efforts to fully revive the grid and to investigate the cause have not yet been successful.

Read more at CNN