Northern Lights might return to UK tomorrow as consultants predict ‘Level 6 storm’
NASA reports the Northern Lights might be gracing our skies this week. A moderate geomagnetic storm appears to be zooming towards Earth, potentially causing radio disruptions.
A solar flare has caused the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to warn people of potential disruption on the horizon and in the UK, it could kick off as early as Wednesday.
The boffins at the Met Office said: “Two Coronal Mass Ejections feature in the forecast, giving a peak chance of Strong Geomagnetic Storm (G3) conditions on Wednesday 24 July.
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“This may result in auroral displays down to Northern Ireland, northern England and similar geomagnetic latitudes, albeit impeded by the near-full moon and limited hours of darkness.”
(Image: Getty Images/500px)
Over at SpaceWeatherLive, they’re betting on a Level 6 storm, where nine’s the maximum on the scale. The storm’s prime time is expected to hit Wednesday into Thursday.
NOAA’s also singing from the same hymn sheet, predicting a solid shot of the Northern Lights from tomorrow, reports the Express.
NOAA has also warned that Aurora could whip up its magic at chillier high latitudes.
Shawn Dahl from NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center revealed on Friday that the recent combination of solar activities resulted in one of the largest solar radio events ever recorded.
(Image: Getty Images)
Pilots across the country reported communication disruptions due to this event, according to the space weather forecasting centre.
Scientists are now keeping a close eye on this sunspot region, analysing it for a potential coronal mass ejection – an outburst of plasma from the sun that could be directed at Earth.
This could trigger a geomagnetic storm, Dahl warned, which could disrupt high-frequency radio signals at higher latitudes and even spark northern lights or auroras in the coming days, as reported by The Mirror.
Solar flares, large eruptions of electromagnetic radiation from the Sun lasting from minutes to hours, travel at the speed of light.
This means any effect upon the sunlit side of Earth’s exposed outer atmosphere occurs simultaneously with the observation of the event.
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