Severe Geomagnetic Storm Watch Issued for Potential Impact on Global Infrastructure

Takeaways:

• The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) has issued a rare "severe" geomagnetic storm watch for the US, with the Met Office issuing a similar watch for the UK, due to potential impacts from coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the Sun.

• This is the first "G4" level storm watch issued by the SWPC since 2005, which could affect critical infrastructure such as the power grid, internet cables, and satellites, potentially leading to power outages and service disruptions.

• Operators of critical infrastructure have been alerted to take precautions, and while the exact impact is uncertain, there could be visible effects like enhanced aurora lights if the storm is less severe than anticipated.

• The storm's peak could occur as early as Friday evening Eastern Daylight Time or later Saturday night, with only 20–45 minutes of lead time before a warning is issued once the CMEs are close to Earth.

• Potential risks include induced electrical currents in long conductive structures, increased drag on satellites in lower Earth orbit, and disruptions to high-frequency radio communications and GPS signals, but there is expected to be enough system redundancy to avoid major problems.

References:

[1] A rare geomagnetic storm is heading to Earth — here’s what it means for critical infrastructure. Link

[2] A 'severe' geomagnetic storm is forecast for Earth for the first time in years — here's what to know about these storms. Link

[3] Rare solar storm to make northern lights visible to most of US: Here’s how to see it. Link

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