Recent power and mobile network outages in Spain sparked widespread concern, with social media users quickly blaming solar activity. However, experts have refuted these claims, stating that space weather was not the cause of these disruptions.
April Power Outages
The power outages that affected Spain in April 2025 were likely due to a combination of technical failures, poor grid management, and a lack of stable base-load power. According to solar and astrophysical researcher Scott McIntosh, there were no significant solar events in the days leading up to the April 28th blackout.
May Mobile Network Outage
Similarly, the mobile network outage on May 20, 2025, was attributed to a technical fault during a network upgrade by telecommunications company Telefonica. Solar physicist Pål Brekke confirmed that space weather played no role in this incident.
Spain's Vulnerability to Space Weather
While solar activity can indeed interfere with technology, Spain's geographical location makes it less susceptible to such effects. Countries closer to Earth's magnetic poles are more vulnerable to geomagnetically induced currents. The real threat from solar storms lies in rare, extreme events, which are closely monitored by scientists worldwide.