Costa del Sol was left in darkness as it stood motionless

Costa del Sol returns to normal after being plunged into darkness for several hours. But how long can it stay that way?

Spain’s entire population lost power on April 28, without explanation. Portugal, Italy and Germany also lost power and were unable to go about their normal daily routines. Many places were out of cash and card payment, so supermarkets were packed with shoppers in an emergency. Fuel stations were unable to dispense fuel, and closed. According to the prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, 35,000 people were trapped on trains around the country, including many in tunnels on Metro trains, and Internet services came and went for those who still had power in their devices.

The recovery of electricity has happened little by little in each town. Marbella returned to normal by 7pm. Elviria and Ronda were back up by 6:15. Electricity was restored to the Carvajal neighborhood of Fuengirola after a 7-hour blackout. Electricity began to return in many areas, but internet access remained poor. Cash machines were in emergency mode and only allowed users to withdraw a limited amount of cash. Malaga airport was still operational, but had many interruptions. We advised passengers to contact their airlines for information on whether their flights were still in operation.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez addressed the nation in the evening, calling the blackout an ‘absolutely exceptional incident’ and confirmed that the National Security Council has been convened. He assured the public that every resource is being mobilised in order to restore power to full capacity and promised an investigation into the vulnerability Spain’s connection with the European grid.

What really happened? And will we be prepared if this happens again in the future? Major media sources spoke of a ‘rare atmospheric phenomenon’, but few seemed convinced, and many were chatting amongst themselves of a massive cyber attack.

People began to form queues at cashpoints early on Tuesday, the 29th of April, as they realised that in a world with no electricity, cash is king. They rushed out a few bills so that it wouldn’t happen again.

Electricity suppliers have been attempting a ‘black start’ where little by little they refill the grid with electricity and essentially bump start generators. There was no recorded ‘spike’ on charts that followed the flow of electricity that would have indicated a massive short circuit, the power supply simply plunged as if someone had flicked a switch.

It may take as long as three days for the supply to be fully restored. And, there’s still a risk of further outages.