1 day Ago By Holly Swift
Scottish crime writer Ian Rankin has compared being caught up in the widespread power blackout in Portugal to the “Blitz” as he marked his 65th birthday. The 65-year-old, who is the author of the hugely popular John Rebus novels , took to social media to comment on being caught up in the nationwide power outage. It comes as thousands of UK travellers trying to return home on Tuesday were stranded overnight because of widespread power cuts in Portugal and Spain.
Subscribe today for the best Scottish news via our daily newsletter Much of the two countries was brought to a standstill on Monday after a power cut switched off traffic lights and left people unable to access cash machines. Mr Rankin posted on X the power outage had struck the Iberian peninsula while he was boarding an underground train. The author posted on social media: “A 65th birthday to remember.
Power went out as we boarded an underground train. Stayed off around 10 hours. “Top tip: always book a hotel with natural light in its corridors and stairwells.
Ours was like the blitz.” The outage, which started around midday on Monday, caused widespread disruption to subway systems, traffic lights, airports and retail outlets across Spain and Portugal. In Spain, around 35,000 rail passengers were left stranded at stations and on halted services, while hospitals had to switch to backup generators to maintain critical operations.
Airports, businesses and some government services also reported shutdowns. Authorities say they are continuing to investigate the source of the blackout, but so far there is no indication of foul play..
