The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on Friday issued a fresh alert for a G3 geomagnetic storm over the weekend
The NOAA said that the flare came with a radio burst moving at 334 km/s. Earlier in the day, the NWS Space Weather Prediction Center had issued a warning about a G2 storm.
What is the difference between G2 and G3 geomagnetic storms?
Geomagnetic storms are ranked G1 to G5. A G2 (Moderate, Kp 6) storm brings weak power fluctuations, minor satellite issues, and auroras at high latitudes. A stronger G3 (Kp 7) causes voltage irregularities, satellite drag, and auroras down to 45°.
Aurora map for G3 geomagnetic storm
A G3 storm could push the northern lights as far south as 45° latitude— to as far as Illinois, Oregon, or southern Germany. Visibility mainly depends on the weather (clear skies).
However, the forecast isn’t certain. Storm intensity can fizzle or surge. One can check local cloud cover.
According to NOAA, Saturday’s aurora forecast is at Kp: 7 (Range 0 to 9). Its creation time is set at 04:28:10
“The general public may keep informed by visiting our webpage for any forecast changes and updates. The aurora may become visible over many of the northern states and some of the lower Midwest to Oregon,” the agency adds.
In October last year, a strong geomagnetic storm lit up the night sky in parts of the US. South Africa’s National Space Agency (SANSA) said that the storm had originated from a solar flare “that erupted from sunspot 3842 on October 3”.
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