A high-speed solar storm is heading towards the Earth at a speed of 1.6 million kilometres per hour, according to NASA. The storm is expected to hit our planet’s magnetic field and it could affect essential services such as electricity supply and communications infrastructure around the world. 

© NASA

The solar flare was detected from an equatorial hole in the sun’s atmosphere and can travel a maximum speed of 500 km/second. These solar storms can heat up the outer atmosphere of the Earth and it can have a direct effect on satellites. It can cause interference with GPS navigation, mobile phone signals and satellite TV. The current in power lines can also be affected and in turn blow transformers. 

According to a prediction by the Space Weather Prediction Centre of the United States, the storm will also lead to a blackout of high-frequency radio communication for almost an hour in a vast area. The solar flare has been marked at X1 level by the Centre. Solar flares are massive explosion on the surface of the sun that releases energy and high-speed particles into space. 

© NASA

The X-class flares are some of the biggest and strongest flares categorised by the Space Weather Prediction Centre. The smaller flares fall under A-class, followed by B, C, M and X. Experts also fear that the strong flare may trigger geomagnetic storms in the Earth’s atmosphere. The phenomenon also results in visually pleasing auroras in north and south latitude regions.

© unsplash

Geomagnetic storms can cause major or minor disturbances occurring in the Earth’s atmosphere due to energy exchange from solar winds while entering the Earth’s space environment. These powerful solar winds can break the Earth’s Magnetic Field which causes GPS navigation, mobile phone signals and satellite TV to malfunction. 

In some of the most extreme cases, solar winds can also increase the frictional drag of satellites and affect their orbits enough for them to fall to the Earth’s surface. Solar winds are also extremely dangerous to Astronauts who are not fully sheltered. Charged particles can risk soaking harmful radiation and may also cause damage to spacecrafts. 

In 1989, a solar storm caused a nine-hour blackout on Hydro-Québec's electricity transmission system in Canada.

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