Millions Issued Geomagnetic Storm Warning
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A geomagnetic storm could impact millions of people "over New York to north Iowa to Washington state," weather authorities have warned.
The National Weather Service extended a G3 warning on Monday, before downgrading it to a G2 warning on Tuesday, after weather data indicated that the storm would continue.
Why It Matters
Any extreme weather in these areas could have a huge impact on infrastructure and the environment, and geomagnetic storms in particular have the potential to affect power distribution networks and satellite signals.
What To Know
On Monday, the National Weather Service issued an extension to its geomagnetic weather warning. It was originally classified with a strength of G3, the third-highest level for a storm of this kind, before being downgraded to a G2 on Tuesday morning at time of writing, indicating the storm is "moderate."
The service warned advised residents to be cautious of irregular behavior from electronic devices.
"Some effects are possible to power grid, satellite ops, and GPS," the warning said.
"Geomagnetic activity can vary considerably during storm progression with intermittent periods of escalation or weakening as the major disturbance in the solar wind continues. Monitor the SWPC webpage for additional information and Alerts for latest levels."
The Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis are visible over the New York Skyline on October 11, 2024 in New York City.
The Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis are visible over the New York Skyline on October 11, 2024 in New York City.
Getty Images
Geomagnetic storms, which are caused by bursts of solar wind that also create aurora borealis, can cause a variety of electrical and signal issues depending on how strong they are.
At G2 strength, the National Weather Service predicts that the storm may damage transformers on electrical systems, and create "low-frequency radio navigation problems."
The storm will also interfere with the flight paths of satellites in orbit by increasing drag.
The same solar winds that create the storm also create the northern lights, which means over a dozen states might be able to see the phenomenon with the naked eye this week.
What People Are Saying
The National Weather Service's most recent warning update reads: "Power grid fluctuations can occur. High-latitude power systems may experience voltage alarms. Satellite orientation irregularities may occur; increased drag on low Earth-orbit satellites is possible.
"Aurora may be visible at high latitudes in the northern tier of the U.S., such as northern Michigan and Maine."
Astronomy professor Alex Gianninas of Connecticut College told Newsweek: "We are currently in the peak of the current solar cycle, Solar Cycle 25, and so increased activity at the surface of the Sun is normal. This includes geomagnetic storms that cause the Sun to expel large quantities of charged particles.
"If those are directed towards the Earth, then once they get here, the Earth's magnetic field channels them down towards both the North and South poles and when they hit the nitrogen and oxygen in the atmosphere produce the beautiful Aurora that we see."
What Happens Next
The abnormal weather is expected to pass by the end of the week as the solar wind dies down.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Storms kill 1, injure another and displace hundreds of inmates in Nebraska
FacebookTweetLink Strong storms before dawn Saturday in eastern Nebraska killed one person and seriously injured another in a state park and displaced hundreds of inmates after two prison housing units were damaged, officials said, even as other Midwest states also braced for bad weather. The Waterloo Volunteer Fire Department was called to Two Rivers state park just before 7 a.m. Saturday, where first responders found a vehicle crushed by a large cottonwood tree. The tree had toppled as the storm brought gusts higher than 80 mph to the area, according to the National Weather Service. A woman in the vehicle was declared dead at the scene, while a man was trapped inside, the fire department said in a news release. It took firefighters about 90 minutes to free the man because of the size and weight of the tree, the department said. Once free, the man was taken to an Omaha hospital with life-threatening injuries, Waterloo Fire Chief Travis Harlow said. The state park — a popular camping spot — is about 5 miles (8 kilometers) west of Omaha's western border. High winds caused widespread damage across eastern Nebraska, toppling trees, damaging roofs and pulling down electrical lines. About 20 miles north of Omaha in Blair, the roof of a warehouse was torn open by high winds. Thousands of people were left without power in the immediate aftermath. In the state capital of Lincoln, the storms damaged two housing units at the Nebraska State Penitentiary, displacing 387 prisoners, the state Department of Correctional Services said in a statement. 'There are no reported injuries, and all staff and incarcerated individuals are safe and accounted for,' the agency said. Strong storms also moved through parts of eastern Wisconsin on Saturday, bringing gusts of 60 mph to the state's Door Peninsula, the National Weather Service said. The weather service said more strong storms were possible across the nation's midsection Saturday night into Sunday, stretching from western Colorado into Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, northern Missouri and into Illinois and Wisconsin.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
'The most significant JWST finding to date': James Webb spots — then loses — a giant planet orbiting in the habitable zone of our closest sun-like star
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. There might be a huge planet lurking near one of the closest stars to Earth. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has imaged a possible planet near Alpha Centauri A, a sun-like star that forms part of the triplet Alpha Centauri star group. The mini-cluster is just four light-years from Earth and is a rich ground for astronomers to learn about other star systems. But there's a catch: JWST only spotted the supposed Saturn-size world once — in August 2024 — and two more tries in 2025 came up empty. "We are faced with the case of a disappearing planet," study co-lead author Aniket Sanghi, a doctoral student at Caltech, said in a statement. Astronomers aren't giving up yet. The research team said the planet may have moved in its orbit into the glare of the star — making it temporarily invisible to JWST. "This is a plausible explanation," Stanimir Metchev, Canada Research Chair in Extrasolar Planets at Western University in Ontario, told Live Science via email. Metchev was not involved in the research. "[It] comes with a strict prediction that the planet should again be visible in 2026 or 2027. These follow-up observations will be key for confirming this planet," Metchev added. But assuming the planet is there, "it would be the most significant JWST discovery to date." Related: 'The early universe is nothing like we expected': James Webb telescope reveals 'new understanding' of how galaxies formed at cosmic dawn If confirmed, the planet would be the closest world to Earth that orbits in the habitable zone of a star — the area around a star where water could exist in liquid form, on the rocky surface of an Earth-size world. The newfound Saturn-size exoplanet, however, is likely too large for life as we know it. The purported planet would also be the closest planet to its star ever imaged directly, as it orbits at twice the equivalent distance between Earth and the sun. But none of this is a slam-dunk yet. "The signal is at the limit of what contrast-enhancement techniques applied to JWST images can deliver," Metchev said. "The authors go through a painstaking and believable analysis, but nonetheless any direct image of an exoplanet — especially one with such potential significance — will require an independent confirmation." The Alpha Centauri system is made up of three stars: the sun-like stars Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B, and a fainter red dwarf called Proxima Centauri. Astronomers have already confirmed three planets circling Proxima Centauri. JWST used its Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) for the observations.. Planet-hunting in Alpha Centauri required a custom observing sequence. A coronagraphic mask was also used to block out the light of Alpha Centauri A, enabling JWST to image much fainter planets orbiting nearby. RELATED STORIES — Will we ever reach Alpha Centauri, our closest neighboring star system? — 4 tiny, Earth-like planets found circling 2nd-closest star system to us — and could be visited by future human generations — Proposed spacecraft could carry up to 2,400 people on a one-way trip to the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri "Their extra effort paid off spectacularly," study lead co-author Charles Beichman, executive director of the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute at Caltech, said in the statement. "These are incredibly challenging observations to make, even with the world's most powerful space telescope, because these stars are so bright, close, and move across the sky quickly," Beichman added. In the meantime, the research team hinted more planet-hunting may be coming: "The next closest sun-like star, Tau Ceti [about 12 light-years from Earth], will be much harder even with Webb," Beichman said. NASA"s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will launch as soon as May 2027, will also be used to search for new worlds. Solve the daily Crossword
CNN
5 hours ago
- CNN
Storms kill 1, injure another and displace hundreds of inmates in Nebraska
FacebookTweetLink Strong storms before dawn Saturday in eastern Nebraska killed one person and seriously injured another in a state park and displaced hundreds of inmates after two prison housing units were damaged, officials said, even as other Midwest states also braced for bad weather. The Waterloo Volunteer Fire Department was called to Two Rivers state park just before 7 a.m. Saturday, where first responders found a vehicle crushed by a large cottonwood tree. The tree had toppled as the storm brought gusts higher than 80 mph to the area, according to the National Weather Service. A woman in the vehicle was declared dead at the scene, while a man was trapped inside, the fire department said in a news release. It took firefighters about 90 minutes to free the man because of the size and weight of the tree, the department said. Once free, the man was taken to an Omaha hospital with life-threatening injuries, Waterloo Fire Chief Travis Harlow said. The state park — a popular camping spot — is about 5 miles (8 kilometers) west of Omaha's western border. High winds caused widespread damage across eastern Nebraska, toppling trees, damaging roofs and pulling down electrical lines. About 20 miles north of Omaha in Blair, the roof of a warehouse was torn open by high winds. Thousands of people were left without power in the immediate aftermath. In the state capital of Lincoln, the storms damaged two housing units at the Nebraska State Penitentiary, displacing 387 prisoners, the state Department of Correctional Services said in a statement. 'There are no reported injuries, and all staff and incarcerated individuals are safe and accounted for,' the agency said. Strong storms also moved through parts of eastern Wisconsin on Saturday, bringing gusts of 60 mph to the state's Door Peninsula, the National Weather Service said. The weather service said more strong storms were possible across the nation's midsection Saturday night into Sunday, stretching from western Colorado into Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, northern Missouri and into Illinois and Wisconsin.
