A massive geomagnetic storm is under way in the US — caused by strong eruptions from the sun capable of disrupting America’s electrical grid and producing northern lights as far south as Alabama and northern California on Sunday night.
NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center issued an alert for the electromagnetic storm after satellites picked up a solar flare earlier Sunday.
Although the storm was originally rated as a minor G1 or G2 storm on NOAA’s five-point scale, the solar phenomenon has been upgraded to a G4 storm in the ensuing hours.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state is expected to be impacted by the space weather until 2 a.m. Monday.
“While there have been no reported disruptions to the electrical grid or radio communication, State personnel are actively monitoring and coordinating with industry stakeholders and the federal government,” Hochul said in a statement.
At a G4 rating, the charged particles from the sun could extend the northern lights to be visible in several southern states, including Alabama.
A G3 rating is enough to cause the auroras to be visible over New York, Washington and Wisconsin if the skies are clear enough.
In December, a G3 storm caused the northern lights to be visible over Las Vegas.
The auroras spotted on Earth are created when the charged particles from the sun, typically delivered through solar flares or coronal mass ejections, collide with the atmosphere.
The geomagnetic activity is also monitored on the Kp index scale, which ranges from zero to nine. The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute is measuring Sunday’s storm at level six.
At level six, experts say, the northern lights could be visible in Seattle, Wash., Minneapolis, Minn., Green Bay, Wisc., and Syracuse in New York.
Unfortunately, Fox Forecast Center forecasted “plenty of hindrances” in the sky Sunday and Monday that will likely complicate viewing of the northern lights in the US.
Fortunately, the SWPC said the geomagnetic storm is not expected to affect much of the nation’s power grid.
“The public should not anticipate adverse impacts, and no action is necessary, but they should stay properly informed of storm progression by visiting our webpage,” the SWPC said Sunday.
Geomagnetic storms have become more common over the past year as the sun reaches its maximum phase of its solar cycle, which sees more particles fly toward the Earth.
The solar cycle defines the sequence in which the celestial body’s magnetic field flips every 11 years.
The current event, Solar Cycle 25, began in 2019 and could last until 2030.
