WASHINGTON – A solar geomagnetic storm capable of producing “power grid fluctuations” is expected to hit earth Tuesday, Aug. 2 in what the government’s NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center is calling a moderate storm.
The storm was sparked by a coronal mass ejection that can be visually seen in a NASA space video.
“Power grid fluctuations can occur. High-latitude power systems may experience voltage alarms,” the NOAA alert read.
The primary impact is expected to be north of 55 degrees latitude, NOAA reported.
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Northern lights may be seen as low as New York, Wisconsin and Washington state, according to NOAA.
On NOAA’s 5-number scale, this one is a G2, which if it is a “long-duration storm” could “cause transformer damage.” A G5 storm, the most severe type, can cause “complete collapse or blackouts,” NOAA says.
The 1859 Carrington Event, which occurred prior to the modern-day electrical grid, was a G5. It rendered telegraph machines – the most advance electronics of the day – unworkable.
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