A message accompanying the images notes that the blackout caused major disruptions to daily life, with trains stopping, hospitals switching to back-up power, and communications and internet outages.
In Spain, according to news reports, more than half of the power lost around midday had been restored by late afternoon. But in the south of the country, darkness continued at least through the night,
– NASA said.
Satellite images clearly show the effects of prolonged power outages in Andalusia-an autonomous region in southern Spain.
Blackout on the Iberian island from space / Photo by NASA
Photos from the Black Marble project show the contrast in lighting between the morning of 28 April (before the blackout) and the morning of 29 April.
Blackout on the Iberian Island from space / NASA photo
By 29 April, light appeared to have returned to most urban areas of the Iberian Peninsula. However, rural areas, especially in Andalusia and the southern and eastern parts of the Granada region, shown above, remained dark,
– the report said.
The image is generated from data collected by the VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) radiometer on the NOAA-20 satellite.
The blackout reportedly caused widespread disruption to transport and communications, paralysing industry, offices and commercial facilities in Spain and Portugal.
Spanish authorities ordered an investigation involving government agencies, security services and technical experts. Separately, a Supreme Court judge has begun a probe into a possible cyberattack as the cause of the incident.