Rare Solar Storm to Hit Earth This Weekend: Power Outages, Flight Disruptions Likely

A powerful solar storm is expected to hit Earth this weekend, prompting the US Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) to issue a rare G4 Geomagnetic Storm Watch, the second-highest severity level.

This marks the first event of its kind since January 2005 and carries significant risks, including power grid disruptions, navigation system issues and widespread interference with high-frequency radio communication.

As a precaution, airlines are rerouting flights travelling between Europe, Asia, and North America to minimize radiation exposure for passengers and crew, according to a Bloomberg report.

The SWPC emphasized the rarity of such a high-level watch, highlighting the seriousness of the impending storm.

The storm is expected to unfold over several days, with multiple waves of solar energy impacting the planet. Scientists predict five eruptions of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) – explosive releases of plasma and magnetic fields from the sun – to arrive starting late Friday and persisting through Sunday. The full extent of the storm’s impact will only be known roughly 60 to 90 minutes before it hits, as satellites measure the intensity of incoming energy bursts.

CMEs can trigger geomagnetic storms that disrupt various systems in near-Earth orbit and on the ground. These disruptions can affect communication networks, the power grid, navigation systems, radio signals, and satellite operations. While Earth’s magnetic field shields individuals from the brunt of the storm, unprepared power grids could experience outages, pipelines might become charged with currents, and spacecraft could be knocked off course.

The last recorded G5 storm, the most severe category, occurred in October 2003, causing power outages in Sweden and damaging transformers in South Africa. On the bright side, geomagnetic storms also have the potential to generate breathtaking displays of auroras, also known as the Northern Lights.