Strong solar winds, CME approaching Earth; Could trigger G1-class Geomagnetic storm soon

tech.hindustantimes.com:

Just yesterday, an unstable sunspot named AR3335 exploded, producing a solar flare that triggered blackouts over the Atlantic Ocean. The resulting solar flare was M2.5 in intensity and caused a shortwave radio blackout. Solar activity has been on the rise for the past few months, and it is expected to increase further until solar maximum, the period of greatest solar activity during the Sun's 11-year cycle.

According to a report by spaceweather.com, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) forecasters have observed multiple streams of solar winds hurtling towards Earth from a coronal hole on the Sun's surface, and these could reach Earth tomorrow, June 21. Moreover, a CME is also expected to deliver a glancing blow on June 22. Both these events have the potential to trigger a G1-class Geomagnetic storm. It could also result in solstice auroras at high latitudes.

Although this solar activity might seem harmless due to the distance of the Sun from our planet, it can cause major damage. As solar flares travel out directly from the flare site, we can be impacted by it.

While Earth's magnetosphere deflects most solar activity carried by the solar wind, some charged particles seep through. These energetic particles cause magnetic disturbances, classified as either geomagnetic storms or substorms.

When solar particles hit Earth, radio communications and the power grid are affected when it hits the planet's magnetic field. It can cause power and radio blackouts for several hours or even days. However, electricity grid problems occur only if the solar flare is extremely large. Geomagnetic storms are also the reason behind stunning streaks of green light across the sky known as Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis.

The NASA Solar Dynamics