A huge solar storm could hit Earth today… potentially disrupting communications

US meteorologists said some parts of the world were likely to see fluctuations in radio, internet and GPS today (Friday) as a huge solar storm is expected to hit Earth, the Independent newspaper reported.

“A solar storm, or coronal mass ejection (CME), could interfere with Earth’s magnetic field and would likely affect various forms of communication, as well as trigger a vibrant aurora borealis,” said Tamitha Skov, a space weather physicist.

And he continues, in a post on “X”: “The storm is expected to hit Earth by midday on December 1… If the magnetic field is directed correctly, the Northern Lights are expected to reach the mid-latitudes. “Problems with radio and GPS systems are likely, especially on the night side of the Earth.”

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other U.S. meteorologists have already predicted that three solar storms are headed toward Earth, and some of them will likely combine to cause stronger disturbances in the magnetic field.

“Combined with two previous storms already arriving, this means we have a magnitude of 1.2.3,” Skov said earlier, adding that there are “excellent opportunities for strong G3-level magnetic storms and aurora borealis on Earth.”

The intensity of solar storms is indicated by the letter “G”, followed by a number ranging from 1 to 5, where 1 is the smallest event and 5 is the most extreme event. G3 storms are powerful events that could cause intermittent satellite navigation and low-frequency radio navigation problems.

Sky watchers have taken to social media to share their photos and videos of the stunning auroras in the Northern Hemisphere.

Solar storms are powerful bursts of energy from the sun that contain the fourth state of matter, plasma and ionized matter. They are produced by solar flare events, which are explosive events on the Sun that come from the release of magnetic energy associated with sunspots.

Scientists say the impending solar storm originated from a strong flare near the “3500 region” of the sun.

Solar storms are known to interfere with the Earth’s magnetic field and cause damage to power grids, impact satellites and in some cases disrupt internet connections.

Experts confirm that the solar storm expected to hit Earth today could disrupt communications systems at high latitudes.

“This storm is likely to be at the G3-G4 level, especially considering that before this there were already at least two solar storms on the way,” Skov said.