Earth has been hit by a solar storm that’s set to be the strongest in 21 years and which could disrupt power lines as well as communications.
The storm was recorded as being of G5 (geomagnetic 5) strength by satellites around 8pm Friday – the strongest level available.
It’s the first G5 level storm since October 2003.
A tweet from the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center said: ‘Extreme (G5) geomagnetic conditions have been observed!’
The solar storms are set to last all weekend and pose a potential threat to power grids. The geomagnetic storm could cause widespread electrical disruptions, blackouts and damage to critical infrastructure.
The results of the solar flares are visible in the form of stunning auroras, which are currently being seen around the world.
The storm is a result of six streams of plasma that have burst from the sun and are hurtling toward Earth.
Now that the streams of plasma are roughly one million miles from the planet, scientist are able to gauge the severity of the storm.
A view of the sun earlier on Friday as a severe solar storm was unleashed that’s set to batter the United States all weekend
Developing story, check back for updates…
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