“Solar wind is coming”: Geomagnetic storm may cause global power outages

According to spaceweather.com, this severe solar storm moving toward the earth at a speed of 1.6 million kilometers per hour is expected to hit the earth on Tuesday, so there may be a power outage around the world. As a result, wind speeds may reach 500 km/s, causing geomagnetic storms and high-latitude aurora.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) classified this storm as a G-1 or “small” storm.

“The solar wind is here: Later today, a high-speed solar wind is expected to hit the earth’s magnetic field. It flows from the equatorial hole in the solar atmosphere and the wind speed may be as high as 500 km/s. Mature geomagnetic storms are unlikely, but smaller ones. The turbulence may trigger the aurora at high latitudes,” said spaceweather.com.

According to spaceweather.com, solar flares from the equatorial hole in the solar atmosphere were first detected on July 3.

Satellites in the upper atmosphere of the earth are also expected to be affected by incoming flares. This will directly affect GPS navigation, mobile phone signals and satellite TV. The power grid may also be attacked by solar flares.

According to the US Space Weather Forecast Center, the storm may also interrupt high-frequency radio communications in a wide area for nearly an hour.

What is a geomagnetic storm?

Geomagnetic storm refers to the primary or secondary disturbance in the Earth’s magnetosphere due to the effective exchange of energy from the solar wind into the Earth’s space environment.

What are solar flares?

Solar flares are large-scale explosions on the surface of the sun, releasing energy, light, and high-speed particles into space. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the largest flares are called “X-class flares,” based on a classification system based on the intensity of solar flares. The smallest belongs to Class A, followed by B, C, M and X. The solar flares that may hit the earth’s magnetic field today are class X flares.