Severe Solar Storm Alert: Northern Lights Visible Far South!

A severe solar storm is on course to impact Earth, potentially exacerbating stress on power grids as the United States grapples with major consecutive hurricanes. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a severe geomagnetic storm watch for Thursday into Friday following an outburst from the sun earlier this week. This event could cause temporary disruptions to power and radio signals.

NOAA has advised power plant operators and satellite handlers to take necessary precautions and has also informed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) about potential power disturbances. This comes as FEMA deals with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and braces for Hurricane Milton, which is advancing across the Gulf of Mexico towards Florida.

Although this solar storm is not anticipated to surpass the intensity of the one that struck Earth in May—the strongest in over two decades—its exact impact will only be known once it is within 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometers) of Earth, where it can be accurately measured by spacecraft.