Solar storm 'tsunami' heading to Earth could spark blackouts in hours
Multiple coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from recent X-class flares, including yesterday's X1.7 and today's record X5.0 from sunspot AR4274 are racing toward us at speeds up to 1,000 km/s.
The lead CME, which erupted on November 9, may already be glancing our magnetosphere, causing minor radio blackouts over Europe and Africa, while trailing blasts could catch up and merge en route a phenomenon dubbed a "cannibal" in reference to the way in which the faster rear wave devours the front one, amplifying its punch.
This means brighter auroras visible as far south as Alabama or northern Spain, but also heightened risks: satellite operators report potential drag increases in low-Earth orbit, while power grids in high-latitude regions like Scandinavia and Canada brace for voltage surges reminiscent of the 2003 Halloween storms.
