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

dailymail.co.uk ^ | October 11, 2021 | Jonathan Chadwick

[elpadre]

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.

Today's solar storm is forecasted at around 12pm ET, or about 5pm BST.

[Pining_4_TX]

Now that is a cool faint!

[griffin]

Still here.....just damn.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Well its 7:07 PM EST so where’s the storm?

[Greenpees]

“You ougtta know not stand by the window, somebody see you up there”