A rare “severe” solar storm warning has been issued for tomorrow, with the potential to disrupt internet, phone signals, and power grids. The Space Weather Prediction Centre has put the warning in effect after a coronal mass ejection (CME) erupted from the Sun on May 30.
According to the centre, the CME is expected to arrive at Earth on June 1 and could cause “immediate geomagnetic disturbances”. This means that technological infrastructure may experience impacts, including power grid blackouts and disruptions to GPS signals. However, the centre notes that these impacts are possible but can be mitigated.
The storm’s effects may also be visible as far south as Alabama and Northern California, with the aurora potentially being seen in the northern half of the United States. The “severe” storm watch remains in effect until June 2.
Geomagnetic storms occur when solar activity disturbs the Earth’s magnetic field, causing a range of physical impacts including geomagnetically induced currents, increased ionisation, and thermosphere heating. These effects can disrupt technological infrastructure, including power grids, GPS signals, and satellite operations.
Source: https://www.the-sun.com/tech/14368085/massive-solar-storm-severe-warning