Auroras Illuminate Skies but Geomagnetic Storm Could Hamper Hurricane Recovery Efforts: NOAA

Aurora borealis seen over Washington, on October 10, 2024. Lucie Aubourg/AFP via Getty Images

Visibility of the Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, increased across parts of the United States and Europe on Thursday following an intense solar storm, which the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warned could trigger geomagnetic storms on Earth and affect hurricane recovery efforts.

The lights illuminated the skies as far south in the United States as Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and Texas and were also spotted across New York, Northern California, Massachusetts, and Illinois.

In Britain, the UK Met Office said the lights were visible over much of the country, while in Europe, large areas of pink and green lit up the sky as far as Turkey.

The light displays were prompted by a coronal mass ejection (CME), in which a large mass of plasma and highly magnetized particles are ejected from the sun, triggering severe solar storms.

Large CMEs can contain up to a “billion tons of matter that can be accelerated to several million miles per hour” before slamming into any planet or spacecraft in its path, according to NASA.

When the Earth is in the direct path of a CME, the highly magnetized and charged solar particles ejected from the sun interact with its magnetic field, producing geomagnetically induced currents that can potentially disrupt communication satellites and long-distance cables.

The latest CME hit Earth at 11:15 a.m. (EDT) at nearly 1.5 million miles per hour, and its strength and structure are being “closely scrutinized” for potential geomagnetic storm intensity, NOAA said on Oct. 10.

“CME passage intensified; things are favorable for G4 (Severe) levels to potentially continue into night hours, with a chance for G5 (Extreme) levels,” the agency said in an update later on Thursday.

The aurora borealis light up the night sky behind the Reculver Towers and Roman Fort in Herne Bay, UK, on Oct. 11, 2024. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

The aurora borealis light up the night sky behind the Reculver Towers and Roman Fort in Herne Bay, UK, on Oct. 11, 2024. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

NOAA warned that a geomagnetic storm could impact ongoing recovery efforts for Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Communication systems that depend on low-Earth orbit satellites or high-frequency communication may experience disruptions.

Power grids, already weakened by the hurricanes, could be put under further stress, while GPS services such as Navigation systems, may experience reception issues, the agency said.

The agency urged the public to “keep space weather aware” by visiting the Spaceweather Prediction Center’s website for updates.

The stunning light displays come as the sun is near the peak of its current 11-year cycle, meaning more solar activity such as solar flares, and more aurora sightings, could occur.