Bold reality check: solar storms that spark the Northern Lights can also wreak havoc on technology and transportation here on Earth.
Image credit: BBC Weather Watchers / Moxley
By Chris Fawkes
Lead Weather Presenter
Watching the Northern Lights—their swirling greens, pinks, and purples painting the night sky—feels like witnessing a natural miracle. Yet the charged particles hurtling from the Sun, which create this luminous aurora, can also trigger rare but highly disruptive events on our planet.
Storms from space can influence electricity grids, satellites, and air travel. In a striking recent example, Airbus grounded about 6,000 aircraft and issued software updates after one plane experienced an abrupt altitude drop in October, an incident believed to be linked to intense solar radiation.
This kind of disruption isn’t merely theoretical. Scientists and governments actively study and prepare for it.
What kinds of damage can solar storms cause?
The UK government maintains The National Risk Register, a catalog of severe hazards that could affect the country at some point. It includes space weather on the list of risks alongside nuclear incidents, terrorism, and disease outbreaks, underscoring that extreme space weather is a legitimate national concern.
Much of the planning for severe space weather traces back to the Carrington Event of 1859, the most powerful geomagnetic storm in recorded history. That event caused dramatic fluctuations in Earth's magnetic field, which induced electricity in long wires. Telegraph lines sparked, operators felt electric shocks, and conversations continued even as batteries disconnected. Though centuries old, this event illustrates the potential reach of space weather with today’s technology—and how much more disruptive a similar event could be now.
Satellites are particularly vulnerable. A strong solar storm can push Earth's atmosphere outward, increasing drag and causing some satellites to slow or even deorbit. This is not mere speculation: in February 2022, a solar storm contributed to the loss of 38 satellites.
Beyond satellites, space weather can disrupt sensitive onboard electronics, leading to malfunctions. Radio communications, including GPS, can be severely impaired for days, which could cripple navigation for vehicles and logistics. In aviation, the loss of reliable GPS translates to significant safety and efficiency risks.
Space weather has already affected aviation electronics. On October 30, 2025, a JetBlue Airbus A320 flying from Cancun to Newark unexpectedly lost altitude, injuring several passengers and diverting to Florida. Investigations linked the incident to corrupted elevator control data caused by space weather, which affected flap commands. An Emergency Airworthiness Directive followed, grounding more than 6,000 aircraft until updated software and hardware could ensure safe operation.
This incident demonstrates how fragile modern aviation systems can be when exposed to solar activity. The risk to electricity grids is equally serious: a March 1989 blackout in Quebec left millions without power and heat for hours, illustrating the broader societal impact of space weather events.
How likely is another Carrington-scale event?
In July 2012, a Carrington-class event narrowly missed Earth. The Sun’s rotation brings active regions around every 25 days, and luck played a role that time—the dangerous activity wasn’t pointed at Earth. But the possibility remains that an even larger event could occur.
Some researchers point to evidence found in ancient tree rings suggesting Miyake events—giant solar superstorms—could be ten times larger than the Carrington Event. The most recent Miyake event identified occurred roughly a thousand years ago, implying that such extreme space weather could happen again at any time.
As technology becomes more integrated into daily life, the importance of understanding and preparing for space weather grows. Governments, industries, and researchers continue to refine early warning systems, protective measures, and rapid-response plans to mitigate the worst effects of future solar storms.
What’s your take on space weather preparedness? Do you think current plans are sufficient, or is there another area you’d like addressed? Share your thoughts in the comments.
