Yes, the UK experienced unusual power grid activity just hours before the massive blackout that struck Spain and Portugal on April 28, 2025. 
UK Power Grid Incidents
Britain’s National Energy System Operator (Neso) is investigating a series of unexplained outages that occurred early Monday morning. These incidents included a shutdown at the Keadby 2 gas-fired power plant and a failure of the Viking Link interconnector with Denmark. Neso reported abnormal fluctuations in power frequency during these events, which are critical for maintaining grid stability. 
Spain and Portugal Blackout
Around 12:30 p.m. on the same day, Spain and Portugal experienced one of the most significant blackouts in recent European history. The outage disrupted transportation, halted trains, and left millions without electricity. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that 60% of the country’s power supply was lost within five seconds. At least five deaths have been reported, including a woman in Valencia whose oxygen machine failed and a family in Galicia who died from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning due to a malfunctioning generator.    
While Spanish grid operator Red Eléctrica ruled out a cyberattack, the country’s High Court has launched an investigation into possible sabotage. Portugal’s grid operator REN also denied being the source of a viral social media message attributing the blackout to a rare atmospheric event known as “induced atmospheric vibration.” 
Potential Connections
Although the UK and Iberian Peninsula are not directly connected through power infrastructure, the timing of these incidents has raised questions about potential links. Experts suggest that the events may be coincidental but highlight the need for a thorough investigation to determine if there’s a common underlying cause.
The UK’s recent grid anomalies, coupled with the Iberian blackout, underscore the importance of robust energy infrastructure and the need for international cooperation in addressing potential vulnerabilities.
