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Copyright © 2024 CGTN. 京ICP备20000184号
Disinformation report hotline: 010-85061466
Northern lights glow in the night sky due to recent solar activity, eastern Brandenburg, Germany. /CFP
A powerful solar storm reached Earth on Thursday, potentially impacting recovery efforts for hurricanes Helene and Milton, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The coronal mass ejection (CME) erupted from the sun on Tuesday evening and reached Earth at 11:15 a.m. on Thursday, traveling at nearly 1.5 million miles per hour (2.4 million kilometers per hour), according to NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC).
The storm reached G4 (Severe) levels, and a G4 or higher Geomagnetic Storm Watch remains in effect through Thursday and into Friday, according to the SWPC.
The SWPC has issued multiple warnings and alerts for geomagnetic storm conditions.
The storm could impact recovery efforts for hurricanes Helene and Milton by causing communication disruptions, stressing power grids, and degrading GPS services, according to NOAA.
Under clear skies, the aurora may be visible as far south as Alabama and northern California on Thursday night.
CMEs are explosions of plasma and magnetic fields from the sun's corona. When directed at Earth, they cause geomagnetic storms.