January 24, 2024 A solar storm struck the Earth on Monday, resulting in a brief radio blackout detected over the Pacific Ocean, according to reports from earth.com. The blackout, which occurred around 4:20 pm EST, affected the western US and South American coasts, lasting only a few seconds. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) classified the solar storm as R2 (moderate) and indicated that it is part of a series of solar storms observed since the beginning of the year.
The impact of the solar storm also reached the poles, causing an outage lasting approximately seven hours, with further storms expected to arrive in the coming days. NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Centre noted a 60% chance that the ongoing storm could disrupt power grids.
Physicist Tamitha Skov, known for providing updates on solar storms, had earlier informed about the incoming storms. She mentioned, “We have one, if not two solar storms headed for Earth today! The first launched near (Sun’s) Region 3555. It is expected to hit early to midday January 22. The second is a side-swiping storm launched near 3559. It may give us a glancing blow January 23.”
Solar storms can cause radio blackouts by generating ionization in the lower layers of the ionosphere. This ionization, occurring in the D-layer, results in collisions that degrade or absorb radio waves in the 3 to 30 MHz band, leading to disruptions in high-frequency communication.
Another solar storm is anticipated on Wednesday, which could affect radios, aviation communication, and satellite operations. These events are also expected to produce stunning auroras visible in various locations, including northern Wyoming, South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine.
