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Spain, Portugal, and Part of France Suffer Major Blackout in Europe This Monday (28). Official Cause Is a Rare Atmospheric Phenomenon; Connection with Solar Storm Is Under Investigation.
Attention: a major blackout in Europe occurred today, Monday, April 28, 2025. Spain, Portugal, and part of France were left in the dark for hours. Cities stopped, transportation was affected, and millions of people were impacted. According to authorities, the cause was a rare atmospheric phenomenon.
On Monday morning (28), around noon local time, a large-scale failure occurred. The electricity supply was interrupted. It primarily affected Spain, Portugal, and regions of France. Entire cities quickly went dark. Trains and subways were halted and evacuated. Airports faced chaos and delays. Traffic lights being turned off caused chaos on the roads. The routine of millions was profoundly affected. The dependence on electricity became evident.
Cause Revealed: Induced Atmospheric Vibration Affects Electric Grid
Initially, a common technical failure or overload was suspected. However, investigations pointed in another direction. The cause of the blackout in Europe was not an issue with power generation. It was a rare phenomenon: induced atmospheric vibration.
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REN, the operator of the electricity grid in Portugal, detected abnormal oscillations. These occurred on the 400,000 Volt high-voltage lines. The oscillations were not related to strong winds, storms, or excessive demand.
How the Atmosphere Made the Cables Vibrate
Induced atmospheric vibration occurs due to abrupt changes in the atmosphere. Sudden temperature changes and high humidity are factors. The presence of micro-discharges in the air also contributes. This instability interacts with the electric field of high-voltage cables. It creates pressure waves that make the cables vibrate irregularly.
This abnormal vibration can cause excessive physical strain on structures. It can damage wires, break insulators, or generate electrical disturbances. In highly interconnected networks, like the European one, these failures spread quickly. To avoid a total collapse, operators perform automatic load shedding. They strategically turn off parts of the system.
Did the Solar Storm Increase the Blackout in Europe? Hypothesis Under Investigation
At the same time, the hypothesis of external influence emerged. A solar storm could have amplified the abnormal atmospheric conditions. This possibility is still under official investigation. Experts are closely monitoring solar activity. The Sun is currently in a cycle of maximum activity (Solar Cycle 25).
Solar storms are explosions that release charged particles (solar wind). When they reach Earth, they can cause geomagnetic storms. Intense events can induce electric currents in power grids. This can lead to overloads and blackouts, as occurred in Quebec (Canada) in 1989. The suspicion is that recent solar activity may have contributed to the blackout in Europe.
Is Brazil at Risk? Our Vulnerabilities to Similar Events
Could events like the blackout in Europe happen in Brazil? The answer is yes, although the context is different. Brazil has already experienced significant blackouts. The one in 2001 was caused by drought and planning failures. In 2023, there were regional blackouts in the North and Northeast due to problems with transmission lines.
Our energy matrix is predominantly renewable (hydroelectric, wind, solar). This brings vulnerabilities: droughts affect hydroelectric plants, calms affect wind energy, clouds affect solar. Additionally, Brazil has a vast territory. It requires long transmission lines, which are more vulnerable to failures. Intense solar storms could also affect Brazil, damaging sensitive equipment and communication systems.
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