The magnetic storm will intensify during the next 4-6 days
MOSCOW, September 15 — RIA Novosti. The strongest magnetic storm in three months has begun on Earth, the Solar Astronomy Laboratory of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences reported. "A strong magnetic storm, close to G3, is being observed on Earth. The event is being recorded against the background of a noticeable increase in the speed of the solar wind as a result of the planet entering the zone of a large coronal hole, the boundary of which the Earth crossed yesterday around midnight," the publication says.
Scientists clarified that the storm's strength was unexpected and significantly exceeded calculations. The last time an event of comparable or greater intensity occurred was in early June.
According to experts' calculations, the geomagnetic situation will worsen for at least four to six days, as expected earlier. At the same time, it cannot be assumed that magnetic storms will be observed during this entire time. The impact of coronal holes is highly unstable and usually consists of a long series of individual bursts lasting several hours, between which the situation temporarily normalizes.
"At the same time, there is no objective mathematical assessment of the current storm's progress, since, as already noted, the event clearly falls outside the initial forecasts and no development of the situation will be surprising. As a basic branch of the scenario, it is still considered that the local current surge will end in the next six to nine hours," the laboratory added. Solar flares can cause magnetic storms on Earth, which lead to disruptions in the operation of power systems and affect the migration routes of birds and animals. Strong storms cause disruptions in short-wave communications and navigation systems, and voltage failures in industrial networks. In addition, increased solar activity can expand the geography of observations of the polar lights. There is no clear answer yet as to whether magnetic storms affect human health.