WASHINGTON - Scientists have warned of a powerful geomagnetic storm hitting Earth this weekend, potentially leading to global power outages and electronic disruptions. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has escalated its geomagnetic storm watch from G4 to G5, indicating the highest level of solar storm activity.
According to Philippines News Agency, this rare atmospheric event, which began late Friday, is expected to persist throughout the weekend. This is the first G5-level alert issued by the agency in over two decades, the last occurrence being in October 2003, when similar conditions caused significant disruptions in Sweden and damaged transformers in South Africa.
NOAA explained that geomagnetic storms could severely affect infrastructure both in near-Earth orbit and on the ground, potentially disturbing communications, electric power grids, navigation systems, and satellite operations. Despite the potential for disruption, the storm offers a unique visual spectacle for those in the US, with the northern lights, or aurora borealis, possibly visible as far south as Alabama and Northern California.
The northern lights phenomenon occurs due to disturbances in the magnetosphere caused by solar flares and magnetic particles from the sun, lighting up the sky with vibrant colors. In anticipation of the storm, NOAA has issued warnings to power plant operators and spacecraft agencies worldwide, advising them to prepare for voltage control issues, disruptions in spacecraft operations, and degradation of satellite and radio navigation systems.