NASA warn of solar storm “direct hit” on Earth today

The storm could cause electrical problems and blackouts.

A solar storm is on the way and coming for a "direct hit" with Earth. NASA and US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have issued an urgent alert for a geomagnetic storm and say that when it does hit the Earth – which is expected by today - it could cause serious disruptions. Solar storms occur when the sun emits huge bursts of energy in the form of solar flares and coronal mass ejections. Streams of electrical charges are sent hurling towards Earth. Here on our planet, power systems could experience outages, satellites could be affected, and a range of other electrical problems may occur. Also, when a solar storm strikes the Earth, it can produce beautiful auroras like the Northern Lights, in cities it never usually would be spotted. Experts say this phenomenon could be seen from Scotland tonight and potentially Ireland, if skies are very clear. Space weather physicist Dr. Tamitha Skov wrote on Twitter: "#Solarstorm prediction models from both NOAA & NASA show the storm hits April 14, just ahead of a fast solar wind stream! "This should intensify the storm as the stream will give it a push from behind! Aurora field reporters, be sure to charge your camera batteries!" This storm has been classed as a G3, and the scale on which these storms are measured goes up to G5. So need to panic just yet - as this is only considered moderately strong. However, a very strong solar storm would have the potential to cause total chaos. One study suggested that a storm of this nature, which happens roughly once every 100 years, could plunge the world into an “internet apocalypse”. Optical fibre lines and submarine cables are a vital part of the global internet infrastructure and could be severely affected. Since the birth of the internet and various other technological advancements, we haven't had any strong solar events. However, the sun is expected to become more active in the near future.