The experts’ alert continues to remain high for the arrival of a new and violent one in the near future solar stormwhich could last at least three days and cause injuries “electricity grid fluctuations”.
The situation
To understand current conditions and predict what could happen soon, the sun is monitored with great attention by the Space weather prediction center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), a US agency that generally deals with weather forecasts, monitoring of ocean conditions and atmospheric and mapping of the seas.
The situation has evolved rapidly since last May 7th, due to a group of particularly active sunspots, specifically those of the “active region” 3664: the storm they produced was, according to scientists, the most intense since 2003, but it may not be over yet. In the next few months, experts expect a decidedly intense one which could last 72 hours, capable of interrupting the orbits of satellites, causing blackout in radio communications and GPS and once again produce the spectacular purple or reddish Northern Lights already admired throughout the world.
The responsible stain
The cause would be found in a sunspot kept under control in the last week, protagonist of at least 18 flares, a phenomenon that precedes the arrival of a solar storm. This spot would also be part of the AR3664 group, 200 thousand kilometers wide (i.e. approximately 16 times the size of our planet). “The region is characterized by great complexity”explains the professor of Space Meteorology at the University of Trieste Mauro Messerotti, “with very intense magnetic fields that cause a particularly unstable situation. It is so large that it is visible even to the naked eye, obviously always with adequate protection.”
The risks
According to estimates from the Italian Air Force, the expected storm could reach level G4, on a scale ranging from a minimum of 1 to a maximum of 5: thegeomagnetic activity it could cause a temporary blackout or even a complete collapse of the network and protection systems, even damaging the transformers.
In such cases, explains Nooa, “currents in pipelines may reach hundreds of amperes, high frequency (HF) radio propagation may be impossible in many areas for a day or two, satellite navigation may be degraded for days, low frequency radio navigation may be disrupted for hours the aurora could be observed at a geomagnetic latitude of 40°.”
