Massive power cut in Spain and Portugal causes traffic light outages and train cancellations
We've
just had this picture of queues at cash points in Lisbon, where card
payments are not being accepted due to the power outage.
"It’s
crazy, we were trying to pay for our brunch and it all shut down," says Emily Lansdown, who's in the city. "We’ve been
trying to get a taxi to the beach because all the trains are down."
We're beginning to see the first images showing the effects of the power outage in Spain and Portugal.
In
one, a chef uses his phone's torch to continue working, while a metro
station in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon can be seen shuttered.
Meanwhile,
people at the Madrid Open can be seen leaving the tournament in
darkness. We reported earlier that play had been suspended due to the
power issues.
Shops and restaurants plunged into darkness
The power outage began
soon after midday Spanish time and it appears to have affected cities
across the country, although the Balearic and Canary Islands do not
appear to have been affected.
Mainland Portugal and Andorra also saw a similar blackout.
Public transport has been disrupted, with passengers evacuated from trains and traffic lights also affected.
In Madrid, many businesses, shops and restaurants were plunged into darkness. Internet service was also affected.
Spanish grid operator Red Eléctrica has said it is working with energy companies to restore power.
We're beginning to hear how the outage has affected Portugal, too.
According to the Reuters news agency, Portuguese police say traffic lights are affected
across the country, the metro is closed in capital city Lisbon as well as Porto, and trains are not running.
