A “severe” solar storm could cause communications disruptions over the weekend, according to the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, which issued the warning following a series of solar flares and explosions of magnetic and plasma fields.
The development has raised the possibility of the Northern Lights being seen across the country. NOAA issued a “very rare” G4 storm warning, the first major since 2005.
“A large sunspot cluster has produced several moderate to strong solar flares since Wednesday,” NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) said in a statement. declaration On thursday.
Coronal mass ejections (CME) are an eruption of solar material, according to NOAA. When they reach Earth, geomagnetic storms can occur. CMEs could reach Earth on Friday or early Saturday.
NOAA said the aurora may be visible as far south as Alabama and as far north as California.
Geomagnetic storms are measured on a 5-level scale, with G1 considered the lowest and G5 the most extreme.
“Geomagnetic storms can impact infrastructure in near-Earth orbit and at the Earth’s surface, potentially disrupting communications, the electrical power grid, navigation, radio and satellite operations,” NOAA said in a statement Thursday. .
“SWPC has notified the operators of these systems so that they can take protective measures. Geomagnetic storms can also trigger spectacular auroral displays on Earth.”
NOAA said only three “severe” geomagnetic storms have occurred since the start of the current solar cycle in late 2019. The last G4 storm occurred on March 23.
The last extreme, Storm G5, occurred in 2003, causing damage to power transformers in South America and power outages in Sweden, according to NOAA.
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