An unprecedented blackout brought much of Spain and Portugal to a standstill on Monday, stopping trains, cutting phone service and shutting down traffic lights and ATMs for millions of people across the Iberian Peninsula.

A widespread power outage hit Spain and Portugal, affecting millions of people who live across Europe's Iberian Peninsula.

Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez said a nationwide blackout of this scale had never happened before in Spain. He added that the underlying cause remains unclear.