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a solar phenomenon called cannibalism Storm can give darshan of Northern Lights in the UK, and poses a threat to GPS, communications networks and the power grid.
British Geological Survey (BGS) has already upgraded its forecast to maximum and said the storm could spawn another hurricane, hence its name, creating one of the The biggest “cannibal storm” in 20 years.
After reaching the UK this afternoon, BGS said it had already affected their satellite systems.
Solar storms are caused by bursts of energy, particles, energy, magnetic fields and material blasted into space by the Sun. They are listed as a priority threat in the UK National Threat Register because they can seriously impact navigation and energy infrastructure.
As a result of the storm, some lucky stargazers have had the chance to see the Northern Lights on Wednesday night after they were seen in the north east of the country on Tuesday.
weather office has issued a space weather warning for the natural phenomenon, also known as the Aurora Borealis, predicting it will be visible over parts of the UK until Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
The north of the country is thought to be able to see the lights again, with the south likely to be visible across England and Wales, although cloud cover may affect visibility.
The weather forecast indicates that there will be plenty of cloud cover across the country throughout the evening, with the north of Scotland likely to have the least cloud and therefore potentially the best viewing conditions.
The Met Office said there could also be cloud cover in south-east England during the night, potentially offering a chance to see aurora stars.
Christa Hammond, space weather manager at the Met Office, said: “Several coronal mass ejections have reached Earth in recent days, with another likely to arrive later today.
“This incident is likely to be similar to the one that occurred in May 2024, which brought euphoria across much of England and Wales.”
He added: “However, on this occasion, the weather will be overcast and rainy across much of the country, hindering viewing ability for many people.
“The best visibility is likely to be in the north of Scotland on Wednesday night, although there is a possibility of occasional cloud cover in the south east during the night.”
The Met Office explained that solar storms result from the Sun passing through its active phase and experiencing coronal mass ejections, which are large ejections that send solar particles towards Earth.
As these particles interact with the Earth’s atmosphere, they produce a bright glow, commonly known as the northern lights.
Forecasters said activity is likely to decline by Thursday night, resulting in reduced visibility.