As if things weren't bad enough! A huge solar storm is due to hit Earth at 5pm TODAY that could cause havoc for power grids - with possible Northern Lights displays in New York and the north of England

A powerful solar storm is due to hit Earth today and could cause havoc for power grids, weather agencies have warned.

The UK's Met Office and the US's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have forecasted a coronal mass ejection (CME) – a massive expulsion of plasma from the Sun's corona (its outermost layer) at around 12pm EST (5pm BST) today.

Possible effects of the solar storm, caused by the CME, are power grid fluctuations and orientation irregularities for spacecraft in the form of 'increased drag' on low-Earth orbiters.

The aurora – a natural light display in Earth's sky, also known as the Northern Lights – may also be visible as low as New York in the US and the north of England in the UK. The storm comes as the National Grid warned the gap between energy supply and demand this year is likely to be at its lowest level for six years. The organisation said it was confident blackouts can be avoided, but warned it was possible if 'we have a very cold winter'. A solar or geomagnetic storm is a major disturbance of Earth's magnetosphere – the area around Earth controlled by the planet's magnetic field – caused by CMEs.

A direct and prolonged hit could severely impact or even wipe out our society as it has done in the past. Even a repetition of the Carrington event of 1859 could do considerable damage should it take place now with all the electronic equipment in use. You may find an interesting article related to this subject in the VIEWZONE.COM magazine titled ‘What will doomsday be like?’ It points out how people at that time about 13 K-BC described such an event, as they engraved or inscribed on cave walls what they saw in form of electrical discharges while seeking shelter under ground in caves etc.

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SIDA, CME, Coronal Mass Ejection keywords, sorted, duplicates out, divided by subforum:

Geomagnetic storm warning as solar flare expected to directly hit Earth today [10/11/2021]
Rare Solar Superstorm Could Prompt ‘Internet Apocalypse’ Lasting Several Months: Study [09/24/2021]
Far-Off Supernovas Caused Climate Change on Earth, According to Tree Rings ... How is that even possible? [11/16/2020]
CME Group To Close Chicago Trading Floor As A Precaution Due To Coronavirus [03/11/2020]
High-Speed Traders Profit From Return of Loophole at CME [02/13/2018]
Coronal Mass Ejection - An Issue That Will Kill AGW [04/28/2016]
Over A Thousand Years Ago, The Sun Exploded â€” And Changed Life On Earth Forever [11/16/2015]
Looming Threat of Extreme Solar Storms Prompts White House Response [11/12/2015]
That giant sucking sound in Chicago comes from these HQs [08/18/2015]
Strike 3! A third CME raises Watch to G3 level for 22 June [06/21/2015]
Chinese immigrant spared prison for Chicago Merc trade secrets theft [03/09/2015]
"Some Folks Were Lying?" Medicaid Chief Marilyn Tavenner 'Steps Down' After Obamacare "Error" [01/16/2015]
Storm caused by solar flares will lightly singe Earth by Friday [09/11/2014]
'Giant magnetic explosion on sun' racing to Earth [09/11/2014]
How a solar storm two years ago nearly caused a catastrophe on Earth [07/24/2014]
Solar Flares Disrupt Communications on Earth, Could Send Shockwave on Friday the 13th [06/11/2014]
Gigantic Eruption off the Sun May 9th [06/01/2014]
Scientists say destructive solar blasts narrowly missed Earth in 2012 [03/20/2014]
Feds say they disrupted suicide bomb plot by worker at Wichita airport [12/13/2013]
Sun Unleashes Another Solar Storm Aimed at Earth [08/23/2013]
The Sun has a maximum and no one notices [08/03/2013]
Congressional probe: Corzine is to blame for MF Global fall [11/14/2012]
ScienceCasts: Hidden Magnetic Portals Around Earth [06/29/2012]
ScienceCasts: The Surprising Power of a Solar Storm [06/29/2012]
Capitalists Go on Strike in Chicago [04/15/2012]
This is a true story, it just hasn't happened yet. [12/21/2011]
Sears and CME Group threaten to leave Illinois [12/06/2011]
Space Weather Forecasters Get Serious [10/21/2011]
CME Hikes Gold Margins By 22% And Gold Drops by....0.4%, Resumes Climb [08/10/2011]
Libertyville software engineer accused of stealing trade secrets [07/03/2011]
Will The Chicago Merc Flee Illinois Taxes? [06/10/2011]
CME Saves The Best For Friday 6 PM Last, Lowers Treasury Bond Margins [06/03/2011]
CME Hikes Silver Margins By 17%: 4th Hike In 8 Trading Days [05/04/2011]
Earth dodges geomagnetic storm: scientist (but we're not out of the 'line of fire' yet) [02/17/2011]
Solar Shield--Protecting the North American Power Grid [11/08/2010]
NASA says large CME on Sun headed for Earth: Expected Arrival August 3rd. [08/02/2010]
Feds trace flash crash to Chicago [05/07/2010]
INCOMING CME: (Cloud arrives on April 11th or 12th) [04/10/2010]
Ever wonder why the market crash summer of 2008 - Dodd's wife,CME, CDS, Chicago [03/27/2010]
How to save the Earth via the World Wide Web [03/08/2010]
VIDEO: SPECTACULAR ERUPTION [on far side of Sun] [02/28/2010]
Obama Years Ago Helped Fund Carbon Program He Is Now Pushing Through Congress ( Cap & Tax ) [11/20/2009]
HOT: CME Accepts Gold as Collateral for Exchange Trades [10/21/2009]
Sun's Plasma Balls Could Wipe Out Human Civilization.... [10/14/2009]
Sun's storms set to intensify [07/07/2009]
Church suspends bishop indicted on sex assault charges [07/15/2008]
Chicago CME exchange, NYMEX in merger talks [01/29/2008]
'Lost' Swedish aid millions are the tip of the iceberg [01/12/2007]
MIDDLE LATITUDE AURORAL ACTIVITY WARNING (Northern California to North Carolina) [12/13/2006]
What's Up in Space -- 8 Dec 2006 [12/07/2006]
A Coronal Mass Ejection is Heading Toward Earth After an X-Class Solar Explosion [07/31/2005]
UN Panel: No Single Nation Should Control Internet Addresses [07/16/2005]
Red Alert... list of Left groups plan to surround the Whitehouse on Sept 24th [07/14/2005]
Mao More Than Ever (Boston communists say they want a revolution.) [07/03/2005]
Moms tell recruiters: ‘Leave My Child Alone!’ [07/02/2005]
A.N.S.W.E.R.'s response to Bush: Hit the Streets September 24! [Treason & Sedition] [06/29/2005]
Communism and human nature (Bolshie Mod sez, Arise ye kittens of the earth!) [04/05/2005]
X-FLARE (Explosion from Sun which might hit Earth?) [12/31/2004]
Arafat's Diagnosis May Soon Be Revealed [11/18/2004]
HIV Among Mexican Migrant Workers 3 Times as High as General U.S., Mexican Populations [11/07/2004]
A Poker with Bill Gates (Account 990N : Sequel) [06/29/2004]
Account 990N [06/29/2004]
Here Come's The Sun [11/02/2003]
IMPACT: Coronal Mass Ejection Has HIT.... [10/28/2003]
LATEST CORONAL MASS EJECTION TIME OF IMPACT PREDICTION (most powerful since 1989) [10/28/2003]
Middle Latitude Auroral Activity Watch [10/27/2003]
Did a gamma-ray burst devastate life on Earth? [09/24/2003]
Large solar eruption: possible electrical effects July 16-17 [07/16/2002]
VIDEO: Solar Killshot Aimed At Mars, Venus, Mercury | Level 3 Proton Storm [09/11/2017]
Newly released e-mails: Hillary’s own staff mocked her choice of a big donor to high-level security [06/26/2016]
UK gov't: Earth will only have 12-hour warning to deal with massive Sun explosion [07/30/2015]
Sun Goes Wild: NOAA Issues Alert: Earth Directed X-Class Flare Is On Its Way; Chance Of More [01/08/2014]
Carrington Class: “The World Escaped an EMP Catastrophe” [08/01/2013]
Mysterious planet-sized object spotted near mercury (Mercury) [12/07/2011]
CME Goes To Collateral DefCon 1: Makes Maintenance Margin Equal To Initial For... Everything!? [11/05/2011]
The EMP Threat [11/23/2010]
Geomagnetic Storm Watch Issued for Earth for Sunday [09/25/2021]
GEOMAGNETIC STORM WATCH [05/17/2021]
EARTH’S MAGNETIC FIELD JUST STRUGGLED WITH A WEAK CME: SIGN OF THE TIMES [05/14/2021]
Sunspot twice as wide as Earth could fire eruptions straight at us Its a big one – Daily Express [05/08/2021]
The sun may offer key to predicting El Niño, groundbreaking study finds [05/08/2021]
Earth under Geomagnetic Storm Watch on Sunday [04/24/2021]
Mars-directed coronal mass ejection erupts from the sun [04/23/2021]
In 774 AD, the Sun blasted Earth with the biggest storm in 10,000 years [01/08/2021]
Northern Lights potentially visible Wednesday into Thursday [Lower 48] [12/09/2020]
MAJOR SOLAR FLARE AND CME [11/30/2020]
Did a solar flare sink the Titanic? Study suggests space weather may have been responsible for tragedy [09/16/2020]
Carrington Event still provides warning of Sun’s potential 161 years later [08/28/2020]
Mars-sized 'Light-bridge' on Surface of Sun Appears to Signal Break-up of Vast Sunspot [08/10/2020]
Massive sunspot is turning towards Earth this can result in major solar flares that can effect electrical systems [08/07/2020]
Sun unleashes biggest flare since 2017. Is our star waking up? [05/31/2020]
Understanding Solar Maximum and Minimum [02/08/2020]
NASA's Parker Solar Probe spotted 'stealth' outburst on the sun [02/04/2020]
Deep solar minimum on the verge of an historic milestone [12/13/2019]
Professor Valentina Zharkova’s ‘Expanded’ Analysis still Confirms Super Grand Solar Minimum (2020-2055) [12/13/2019]
Ancient Babylonian 'Omen' Has Helped Scientists Verify Timing of an Epic Solar Storm [10/21/2019]
Solving the sun's super-heating mystery with Parker Solar Probe [06/06/2019]
The sun has ‘reached solar minimum’ and its surface is ominously calm [06/05/2019]
NASA's Parker Solar Probe Makes 2nd Daring Flyby of the Sun [04/05/2019]
Ice cores reveal huge solar storm struck Earth around 660 BC [03/12/2019]
Solar flare '10 billion times more powerful' than Earth's Sun blasted out of Orion's sword [02/17/2019]
Church of Sol: The Solar Cycle's Potential Impact on Weather and Climate [01/20/2019]
Powerful Solar Storm Likely Detonated Sea Mines During Vietnam War [11/11/2018]
Coronal hole faces Earth [09/05/2018]
Solar Eclipse Warning "Apocalyptic Solar Flare / Hurricane Irma / Harvey / North Korea / Yellowstone [09/06/2017]
Solar storm of August 28 to September 2, 1859 [08/30/2016]
Is the Sun DISINTEGRATING? NASA spots monster hole open up on our star [05/26/2016]
Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Auroras and the Magnetosphere of Jupiter [04/06/2016]
Holes in the sun threatening to throw birds and GPS off course [04/02/2016]
Deadly stars: Our sun could also be superflare star [03/28/2016]
What is a superflare? Researchers explain 'devastating consequences' of an eruption from the Sun [03/24/2016]
Astronomy Picture of the Day -- A Solar Prominence Eruption from SDO [03/05/2016]
Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Sun Storm: A Coronal Mass Ejection [01/10/2016]
Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Sky Lights in the New Year [01/01/2016]
What Would Happen if a Massive Solar Storm Hit the Earth? [08/21/2015]
Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Aurora Australis [07/04/2015]
Aurora Borealis Lighting Up Night Sky All Week Due To Severe Solar Storm [06/23/2015]
Space 'buoy' may help protect Earth's power grid from sun's fury [06/13/2015]
Sun emits huge solar flare, burst of plasma [05/06/2015]
Watch an Enormous “Plasma Snake” Erupt from the Sun [04/30/2015]
Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Across the Sun [04/30/2015]
The 2010 flash crash now has a criminal suspect [04/21/2015]
Astronomy Picture of the Day -- A Flag Shaped Aurora over Sweden [03/30/2015]
NASA’s MMS Spacecraft Set for March Blastoff to study Earth’s Magnetic Reconnection Events [03/01/2015]
Active Sun Unleashes Massive Solar Flare [12/21/2014]
Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Solar Flare from a Sharper Sun [11/23/2014]
Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Sunspots and Solar Eclipse [10/26/2014]
Astronomy Picture of the Day -- AR 2192: Giant on the Sun [10/26/2014]
Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Sunspot Group AR 2192 Crackles [10/26/2014]
Beastly Sunspot Amazes, Heightens Eclipse Excitement [10/22/2014]
NASA Solar Forecasting Takes A Hit As Sun-Gazing Spacecraft Stops Phoning Home [10/14/2014]
Will Aurora Strike Tonight? Here’s What to Expect [09/12/2014]
Scientists: 'Extreme' Solar Storm Heading to Earth [09/11/2014]
Solar Flare Geomagnetic Strength Increased by Twice: NASA [09/11/2014]
Astronomy Picture of the Day -- A Solar Filament Erupts [07/21/2014]
Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Spotty Sunrise over Brisbane [07/10/2014]
A First for NASA's IRIS: Observing a Gigantic Eruption of Solar Material (Amazing Video) [05/30/2014]
Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Sun and Prominence [03/04/2014]
X-FLARE! AR1967 returned to the Earthside of the sun on Feb. 25th and promptly erupted [02/26/2014]
Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Sunspot Loops in Ultraviolet [01/26/2014]
Congresswoman: “100% Chance of a Severe Geo-Magnetic Event Capable of Crippling Our Electric Grid” [09/03/2013]
Sun Fires Solar Storm Directly at Earth [but only Aurora activity is expected] [08/21/2013]
About that almost ‘Carrington Event’ two weeks ago ( Solar Eruption)....Eronous? [08/03/2013]
SPACE WEATHER FACT CHECK: [08/02/2013]
Massive solar flare narrowly misses Earth, EMP disaster barely avoided [07/31/2013]
This solar eruption video will straight up melt your face it's so awesome [07/19/2013]
Monster radiation burst from Sun [05/14/2013]
NASA Pauses Mars Missions To Avoid Interference [04/04/2013]
Sun in the Way Will Affect Mars Missions in April [03/27/2013]
Astronomy Picture of the Day -- CME, Comet and Planet Earth [03/15/2013]
Earth-directed coronal mass ejection from the sun [03/15/2013]
Solar proton event seen in paleo records (Carbon 14 in Tree Rings) [03/15/2013]
Did An 8th Century Gamma Ray Burst Irradiate Earth? [01/21/2013]
Astronomy Picture of the Day -- A Solar Ballet [01/15/2013]
Researcher points to Sun as likely source of eighth-century 'Charlemagne event' [12/12/2012]
Sky 'Crucifix' in Ancient Text May Be Mystery-Solving Supernova [07/01/2012]
Mysterious radiation burst recorded in tree rings [06/04/2012]
Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Planet Aurora Borealis [01/28/2012]
Astronomy Picture of the Day -- January Aurora Over Norway [01/24/2012]
Enormous solar outburst could dazzle your weekend [Alaska, Seattle, Des Moines, Chicago, Boston] [01/21/2012]
Plasma, Solar Outbursts, and the End of the Last Ice Age [07/15/2011]
SpaceWeather: (Solar) FARSIDE ACTIVITY CONTINUES [01/14/2011]
Space Weather: EARTH-DIRECTED SOLAR ERUPTION [11/12/2010]
Sun eruption may have spawned zombie satellite [07/14/2010]
OMG! Huge Prominence (CME to hit Earth's magnetic field around April 15th) [04/14/2010]
Pick of The Week [coronal mass ejection (CME) from far side of the Sun] [12/17/2008]
AURORA ALERT! [09/14/2005]
Astronomy Picture of the Day 5-16-02 [05/16/2002]

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