Spain hit by massive power cut: homes in the south of France affected
A power outage across the entire country has also impacted properties across the Pyrénées
The major outage is affecting Portugal and Spain, as well as parts of France
chuyuss / Shutterstock
Update 15:00: France's grid operator RTE says power has been restored to affected properties in France.
A massive power cut affecting homes and services across Spain and Portugal is also affecting properties in the south of France near the Pyrénées border.
Areas close to Spain that are interconnected to the Spanish electrical grid are impacted, with essentially all of Spain facing power blackouts and unstable phone lines.
Power is gradually being restored by Spanish grid operator Red Electrica starting in areas at the north and south of Spain.
It means areas affected in France may soon have power restored.
Read more: French power cuts: how can we know if power is back OK at second home?
It is unclear how many properties in France have been affected.
Currently, no official explanation has been given for the outage, which began around midday in Spain.
However, the outage caused widespread disruption, grinding rail and public transport services to a total halt in major cities such as Madrid and Lisbon.
Homes and businesses lost power across the Iberian peninsula, and in many cases electronic payment systems were unavailable, preventing businesses from selling goods.
Hospitals remained mostly unaffected, using back-up generators to continue powering key services such as ventilators.
You can follow live updates on the matter via the BBC.
Read more: Is it possible to apply for compensation after power cut at French home?
