(NEXSTAR) – A solar radiation storm stronger than one we’ve seen in over two decades is in progress, the Space Weather Prediction Center announced Monday.
The storm is classified as an “S4” – the second-highest possible level of a solar radiation storm. The last time we observed an S4 storm was in October 2003.
“Storms of this strength are very rare,” said the Space Weather Prediction Center. Forecasters expect the storm to continue for days, cutting off high-frequency communications completely in the polar regions and posing some added health risk to passengers and crew in high-flying aircraft.
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The strong solar flare that triggered the radiation storm has also caused a severe geomagnetic storm, which strengthened to a G4 on Monday afternoon and “came with a punch” at around 2:20 p.m. Eastern Time, said Shawn Dahl, a service coordinator with the SWPC…