World told to brace for 'severe geomagnetic storm' today

A huge solar storm is slamming into the Earth. Scientists say you should look up
UPDATED MAY 10, 20248:54 PM ET
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Geoff Brumfiel, photographed for NPR, 17 January 2019, in Washington DC.
Geoff Brumfiel

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The solar flare as captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory on Thursday. The flare has triggered a severe geomagnetic storm watch for the first time in nearly 20 years.
AP
Planet Earth is getting rocked by the biggest solar storm in decades.

Late Friday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared that the Earth was experiencing a G5, or "Extreme," geomagnetic storm. This is the first G5 storm to hit the planet since 2003.

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NOAA Issues First Severe Geomagnetic Storm Watch Since 2005
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NOAA warns several waves of flares will slam into the Earth over the next few hours and days, potentially disrupting communications and navigation, triggering power outages and damaging satellites. The 2003 event briefly knocked out power in part of Sweden and damaged electrical transformers in South Africa.

NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center says that this latest storm may induce auroras visible as far south as Northern California and Alabama.

On social media, posters were putting up photos of bright auroras visible across Russia, Scandinavia, the U.K. and continental Europe. Some reported seeing the aurora as far south as Mallorca, Spain.