The Spanish power distributor calls it “exceptional and extraordinary.” Power went down just after noon and by nightfall only half of the power had been restored in Spain. The cause was not immediately clear Monday.

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

Power and cell phone outages struck across the Iberian Peninsula and other portions of Europe Monday, with disruptions reported in Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Andorra and France.