A massive solar storm due to hit Earth today could cause radio blackouts and power grid disruptions.
Officials are tracking a powerful burst of solar plasma and magnetic fields, which made impact Tuesday and continues to affect our planet.
The G3 geomagnetic storm could interfere with power grid operations in the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and Midwest regions of the US.
It may also lead to GPS outages, satellite malfunctions and other system disruptions.
A geomagnetic storm is a temporary disturbance of Earth’s magnetic field caused by a massive eruption of plasma from the sun’s outermost layer.
According to Dr. Tamitha Skov, an independent space weather physicist, if the storm continues for another 10 hours, there is a possibility of power outages occurring.
Scientists have also predicted that the event will produce colorful aurora displays in 19 states.
Northern lights are forecasted as low as New York to Wisconsin to Washington state.
Northern lights are expected to be visible in several states including Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
Parts of northern Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, New York and Pennsylvania may also get a view.
The best time to see the colorful lights is between 10pm and 2am local time.
To see the spectacle, wait for clear skies to get dark and then go outside, ideally away from bright city lights.
Taking a picture with a smartphone camera may also reveal hints of the aurora that aren’t visible to the naked eye.
The coronal mass ejection (CEM) struck on Tuesday, leading to the appearance of northern lights in the northern hemisphere and a moderate ‘G2’ level of geomagnetic storming overnight, which was later elevated to G3 today.
This space weather scale is much like the scale for measuring hurricanes, tracking how intense a geomagnetic storm will be when it collides with Earth, ranging from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme).
A G3 geomagnetic storm can cause minor disruptions to radio and satellite communications, potentially leading to a few hours of lost radio contact, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
‘Power grid fluctuations can occur. High-latitude power systems may experience voltage alarms,’ SPWC shared in the alert.
‘HF (high frequency) radio propagation can fade at higher latitudes.’
The SWPC predicts a high risk in electrical grid disruptions in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern, specially Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, US.
Parts of the Midwest, like Minnesota and the Dakotas, also show elevated activity.
The Western region mostly shows low levels, meaning little risk.
‘The key is the length of the G3,’ said Dr Skov ‘So guaranteed, the grid operators are paying close attention right now.
‘Storms like this one that have sustained strong southward fields are the hardest on the grids for sure.
‘I would check Sweden, Norway and possibly New Zealand for reports of grid strain and outages.
‘Higher latitudes always suffer more than lower latitudes during these storms and typically, the higher latitudes countries are the proverbial ‘canary in the coalmine’ for lower latitudes.’
The last Geomagnetic Storm Warning was issued in October 2024 over a G4 storm set to hit Earth.
There were concerns about potential disruptions to power grids, especially in areas already weakened by recent hurricanes that hit Florida and North Carolina.
While no widespread outages were reported, utilities were on high alert for voltage control issues
