A large solar storm is likely to hit the Earth today and is expected to cause a major impact on the communication infrastructure around the world. A large solar flare was detected on 3 July and is moving at a high speed towards the Earth’s atmosphere. According to the Space Weather Prediction Centre of the United States, the impact of the solar flare will be centered on sub-solar points on the sunlit side of Earth. There is also a possibility of blackout of HF (high frequency) radio communication that is dependent upon current X-ray Flux intensity. According to the latest prediction, the flare can cause a wide area blackout of HF (high frequency) radio communication for about an hour. The Space Weather Prediction Centre has marked the solar flares at the X1 level.
The solar storm can impact GPS navigation, mobile phone signals and satellite TVs. Surge of particles can lead to high currents in the Earth's magnetosphere, which can lead to transformers and power stations blow outs due to higher electricity in power lines. Besides impacting communications, solar storms also create dazzling display in the atmosphere, which can be observed in areas closer to the Arctic Circle. Scientists have also predicted that solar storms will peak around 2024 and multiple ejections colliding into the Earth's magnetic field were reported in May 2021. Most powerful geomagnetic storm led to the 1859 Carrington Event wherein telegraph lines electrified and offices in North America and Europe were set ablaze.
