A massive solar storm is set to cause widespread blackouts across the UK and the rest of the world today after a rare 'double punch' from the sun. The G3 geomagnetic storm hit Earth on Tuesday, caused by energy blasted from the Sun to Earth in solar winds.
The effects are expected to be felt today, with heightened geomagnetic activity predicted over the next few days. This type of solar flare can impact radio communications, electric power grids, and navigation signals globally. It also poses risks to spacecraft, astronauts, and increases radiation exposure to high-altitude aircraft.
Geomagnetic storms are ranked by intensity from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme). A warning has been issued in the US, with officials preparing for a one-two punch from the sun. In May last year, multiple coronal mass ejections led to the strongest geomagnetic storm, heavily impacting the US precision agriculture industry.
Sometimes the energy from these storms breaks into Earth's atmosphere, causing gases to glow and forming the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights. The Met Office explains that the Northern Lights occur when charged particles in solar winds collide with molecules in the Earth's upper atmosphere.
