An American agency reported that Friday evening saw the first Earth observation of a level 5 geomagnetic storm since 2003. A level 5 geomagnetic storm is classified as extreme.
According to the American Oceanic and Atmospheric Observation Agency (NOAA), this storm is the result of multiple coronal mass ejections from the sun arriving on Earth. The agency went on to say that “other technologies, such as power grids, satellite navigation, GPS, and spacecraft, may be affected.”
The last event reaching this level 5 was in October 2003, an episode nicknamed “The Halloween Storms,” wrote NOAA. According to her, transformers in South Africa had been damaged and there were power outages in Sweden at the time.
The Solar storm is expected to continue through the weekend, with additional coronal mass ejections arriving, the agency added. In addition to possible disruptions, these solar storms generate impressive northern lights, sometimes much further south than in the regions where they are usually observable.
Some were even visible in Belgium during the night from Friday to Saturday, as evidenced by numerous photos of red and green halos shared on social networks.
This rare phenomenon has been observed in other European countries. Photos of illuminated night skies were shared by delighted spectators in Germany, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Belgium was also witnessing the Northern Lights at the beginning of November.
Source: AFP
