Spain and Portugal hit by unexplained power blackout

[Davino]

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/28/europe/spain-portugal-power-outages-intl/index.html

Very weird blackout happening in my country. Almost 12h no electricity and no telecommunications. I'm writing in the brief time span that internet works. 

Edited April 29 by Davino

[Princess Arabia]

Hope it clears up soon. Stay safe. Not a good thing when everything is electrical and digital these days. Keep us updated.

[integral]

Judgement day 🦿🦿

[UnbornTao]

Espabila Pedro.

[Yimpa]

Damn. That would not be a fun situation for me, as a couple of my life-saving medications are require to be refrigerated / frozen.

[Davino]

Light has returned.

We are so dependent on energy it's crazy. No traffic lights, people losing their monthly food stored in the fridge, trapped in trains under tunnels or elevators, no internet, no calls, no way to cook your meal...

It's still unclear what are the causes, hope that gets cleared soon. This was so out of the scope.

[Apparition of Jack]

45 minutes ago, Davino said:

Light has returned.

We are so dependent on energy it's crazy. No traffic lights, people losing their monthly food stored in the fridge, trapped in trains under tunnels or elevators, no internet, no calls, no way to cook your meal...

It's still unclear what are the causes, hope that gets cleared soon. This was so out of the scope.

How did you pass the time? I feel like along with 99% of the rest of the population I’m addicted to the internet at this point  

[Rafael Thundercat]

well, I happens to me that I am in in the fourth day of a 10 days Non Violent Communication Training. Is in a place in nature, with water from well that is pumped via eletricity. we have a big poll and reservoir and food enogth for 70 people. People from all places like America,Peru,Goa,South Africa,Portugal etc..

This event just made me aware of how easy people lose their shit only by few hours without energy. This show how complacent we became with out lifes. The facilitatiors were the worst. The ones spreading rumors that the blackout could take one week. I could feel the tension in the air, paranóia in disguise. 

Sorry, fuck this NVC. All mind shit, people talking sweet and when the real test of presence comes they fail.

It truly showed me that when and if the shit hit the fan I dont want ungrounded cucos around me. And sorry, the most paranóia I could fell from americans. The woman from Peru also left it and we were laugthing from the situation. 

Part of me wished that this was the start of a colapse so the masks could fall and people could reveal that behing the facade of politeness there is a fearfull mammal just striving to get another day alive. Of course I feel a bit worried to. But grounded in the fact that whatever happens one need to deal with the tasks of the moment. 

Part of me feel that this NVC is a sort of woke training. Of course I dont advocate to the opposite, but if something train people to dont have a spine, the training dont serves reality. Was a good wake up warning. And imagine, just few hours. 

 

 

[Davino]

11 hours ago, Apparition of Jack said:

How did you pass the time? I feel like along with 99% of the rest of the population I’m addicted to the internet at this point  

It was weird bro.

I got my ebook and read (the battery is very long lasting). 

Actually it was funny because introverts stayed home and read while extroverts went outside and talked/played cards with neighbors.

[Norbert Somogyi]

Damn, and it's been only 3 weeks since I've been to Valencia. Glad to hear light is back for you guys!

I guess this can serve as a potential wake-up call for the world about the over-dependence on technology (especially electric), a localized simulation of what would happen if the Sun decides to flare us the wrong way. 

[Princess Arabia]

1 minute ago, Norbert Somogyi said:

a localized simulation of what would happen if the Sun decides to flare us the wrong way. 

The sun isn't man-made and cannot be anything other than the sun and do anything other than shine. 

[Norbert Somogyi]

16 minutes ago, Princess Arabia said:

The sun isn't man-made and cannot be anything other than the sun and do anything other than shine. 

It can shine when it's calm, but it can also have bursts of anger in the form of solar flares. In a cyclic way spanning 11 years or so. Those have the potential to disturb the electric grid of the globe, collapsing civilization back to the early industrial era. Imagine the chaos that would ensue. 

We experienced one back in 1859 called the Carrington Event, turning on telegraph writers without a direct source of electricity (and igniting some stations on fire). The auroras must have been beautiful around the world. The luck was that our civilization was far from being electrified.

The Sun has been monitored for centuries or milleniums by astronomers around the world, later by telescopes (thank you Galileo) and nowadays satellites like NASA's SOHO. It is thanks to that nowadays collaborative effort and the development of technology (which coincidentally is part of our potential demise) that we can start preparing for such an occasion (beyond just forecasting).

So yes, it can do more than just shine.

 

Edited April 29 by Norbert Somogyi

[Salvijus]

A small taste of when a north pole flips over. That will be fun. 

[Princess Arabia]

31 minutes ago, Norbert Somogyi said:

It can shine when it's calm, but it can also have bursts of anger in the form of solar flares. In a cyclic way spanning 11 years or so. Those have the potential to disturb the electric grid of the globe, collapsing civilization back to the early industrial era. Imagine the chaos that would ensue. 

We experienced one back in 1859 called the Carrington Event, turning on telegraph writers without a direct source of electricity (and igniting some stations on fire). The auroras must have been beautiful around the world. The luck was that our civilization was far from being electrified.

The Sun has been monitored for centuries or milleniums by astronomers around the world, later by telescopes (thank you Galileo) and nowadays satellites like NASA's SOHO. It is thanks to that nowadays collaborative effort and the development of technology (which coincidentally is part of our potential demise) that we can start preparing for such an occasion (beyond just forecasting).

So yes, it can do more than just shine.

 

You're still explaining what the sun's shining can result in. The solar flares is not the sun itself. The damages it caused is not the sun itself. All the sun can do is shine; the results of that shining is a separate issue from the sun being the sun and it's essence.

[Norbert Somogyi]

11 minutes ago, Princess Arabia said:

You're still explaining what the sun's shining can result in. The solar flares is not the sun itself. The damages it caused is not the sun itself. All the sun can do is shine; the results of that shining is a separate issue from the sun being the sun and it's essence.

I'm not sure if I follow you, or know what you are trying to say. Solar flares are a natural phenomena of the Sun.

The Sun can help create life, and maintain it. However it can also take it away (for example if the Earth were to move out of orbit just a bit). It is an incredibly delicate balance we can thank our existences to.

EDIT' Let's not derail the thread any further, if you wish to continue let's do it in DM.

Edited Tuesday at 08:09 PM by Norbert Somogyi

[Princess Arabia]

1 minute ago, Norbert Somogyi said:

I'm not sure if I follow you, or know what you are trying to say. Solar flares are a natural phenomena of the Sun.

The Sun can help create life, and maintain it. However it can also take it away (for example if the Earth were to move out of orbit just a bit). It is an incredibly delicate balance we can thank our existences to.

I re-read your initial comment and you're right, we're speaking of two different things. You did say "flare us the wrong way" And I read and interpreted it as shine the wrong way. So now, I get your point and it has been taken and understood.

[cistanche_enjoyer]

 

[Davino]

1 hour ago, Norbert Somogyi said:

I guess this can serve as a potential wake-up call for the world about the over-dependence on technology (especially electric), a localized simulation of what would happen if the Sun decides to flare us the wrong way. 

It really was a wake up call. We should have all the neccessary to survive 1 week without external resources.

It's important to get a radio or walkie-talkies, some light and heat devices.

It's better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them.

[PurpleTree]

55 minutes ago, Davino said:

It really was a wake up call. We should have all the neccessary to survive 1 week without external resources.

It's important to get a radio or walkie-talkies, some light and heat devices.

It's better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them.

True. It’s also why paying with money should still always be possible.

[Natasha Tori Maru]

Have they discovered the cause yet?

I do always wonder if hackers will target the power grid, as it works with its own grid code.

While its not a programming language, I have been alerted to large vulnerabilities through my friends in government (Australia though).