The solar storm warning is the first that NOAA has issued in 19 years and is based on the fact that several large collections of particles have been ejected from a cluster of sunspots wider than 16 times the diameter of the Earth in recent days.
“A strong geomagnetic storm includes the potential for the aurora borealis to be seen as far south as Alabama and northern California,” they write.
The effects of the solar storm have the potential to be felt throughout the weekend – and also in Sweden.
Reports from Skåne
Some Swedes who were up late on Friday night caught the northern lights with their mobile cameras, according to posts published on social media.
In pictures from both southern and western Sweden, pink, purple and green light shines in different formations.
SVT Nyheter has also received information about flickering lights and TV screens in the Stockholm area on Friday evening.
Swedish power network: “Measures taken”
Svenska kraftnät has not received any reports of disturbances at the main grid level in the past 24 hours, says Pontus de Maré, operations manager, on Saturday morning. But the authority took measures in connection with the solar storm moving in, he says.
– What we do when it becomes this force known as G5, is that we reduce the capacities in the main grid and transfer less electricity between electricity areas to create extra margin for possible disruptions.
– But nothing in Sweden has happened and now we are down to G4 again.
New northern lights last night
The northern lights are also expected tonight, but visibility will probably be obscured by clouds in the central and northern parts of the country, says SVT’s meteorologist Nils Holmqvist.
– Had it not been for clouds, you would have been able to see the northern lights down to southern Sweden, says the meteorologist and continues:
– But you can take a little chance. It is uncertain how dense and coherent the clouds will be.
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Astrophysicist Scott McIntosh talks about his theory about future solar storms. Photo: SVT/Science World
