A massive power outage on April 28, 2025, left tens of millions of people without electricity across the Iberian Peninsula. The blackout affected trains, hospitals, and phone and internet connections. However, half of Spain’s lost electricity was restored by evening, while areas in southern Andalusia remained dark throughout the night.
Satellite images from NASA’s Black Marble product showed the impact of the outage on nighttime light emissions across the region. The maps revealed that urban areas experienced a return to normal lighting by April 29, but rural areas, especially in Andalusia and southern Granada, continued to be without power.
Ranjay Shrestha, a member of NASA’s Black Marble team, analyzed data from the product and found that lights had returned to most urban areas. However, he noted that rural areas were still dark, particularly those with high populations of vulnerable individuals such as the elderly.
The phenomenon observed in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria has been confirmed by scientists. Miguel Román, deputy director for atmospheres and data systems at NASA Goddard, highlighted the importance of accessible tools like Black Marble in enhancing disaster response and resilience planning.
This power outage serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of rural areas during disasters and the need for effective tools to monitor and respond to such events.
Source: https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154238/blackout-in-andalusia