Powerful Solar Storm Sparks Impressive Light Show, Modest Disruptions

A strong solar storm that hit Earth on Friday has produced stunning displays of the Northern Lights across the Northern Hemisphere, but has caused only minor disruptions so far.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported extreme geomagnetic storm conditions on Saturday, with preliminary reports of some power grid irregularities, degraded high-frequency communications, and GPS issues. However, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said no significant impacts have been reported in any regions.

The brilliant auroras were visible as far south as Florida and Texas in the U.S., as well as in locations across Europe and Asia. Forecasters noted the storm could pose risks to power grids and satellites, though outages were expected to be short-lived given the abundance of navigation satellites.

Brilliant purple, green, yellow and pink hues of the Northern Lights were reported worldwide, with sightings in Germany, Switzerland, China, England, Spain and elsewhere.

This event is part of the increasing solar activity as the sun approaches the peak of its 11-year cycle.