Solar storms batter Earth as more sunspots appear on the sun's surface

NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center reported a G2 geomagnetic storm on August 7, and another one is expected on Monday. The NOAA said high-latitude power systems could be affected by the storm, while the orbits of spacecraft may be impacted.

We are currently in the midst of the solar maximum, which is the peak of the sun's 11-year cycle. Solar flares and coronal mass ejections are more likely to occur during this time due to the appearance of more sunspots on the surface of the sun. Flares or CMEs can impact Earth if they are directed towards it.

Power grids, satellites, and GPS systems may be affected by charged particles from the sun, interfering with the magnetic field.G2 was a surprise storm, according to SpaceWeather.com, resulting from a stream of solar wind gaining velocity during the day on August 7.

There was no forecast for the event, it said. Over New York and Idaho, auroras—also known as Northern Lights were seen as a result of the G2 storm. In the Earth's magnetosphere, electrons from solar winds cause the aurora to appear.

According to the NOAA, Monday will see a minor G1 geomagnetic storm. There can be small impacts on satellites and fluctuations in the power grid due to this type of storm. Animal behavior can also be affected by it. Migratory animals can become temporarily confused about navigation, which will affect their behavior.

The severity of solar storms is ranked from G1 to G5. Storms that fall into the G1 category are the weakest on the scale and can occur on a fairly regular basis, multiple times a month. The most severe storms are G5, and they are uncommon.

The geomagnetic storm G2 may interfere with a power system if it is slightly stronger. Voltage alarms may be experienced by some, according to the NOAA. Storms may damage transformers if they persist. Despite still being a few years away from the peak of Solar Cycle 25, NASA said the current cycle is exceeding predictions.

Director of NASA's Heliophysics Division Nicola Fox said: 'The Solar Cycle 25 Prediction Panel, a NASA and NOAA-sponsored group of experts, predicted that Solar Cycle 25 would be below-average, like Solar Cycle 24. However, the Sun has been more active than expected in this cycle.

The cycle aligns more with a study published in Solar Physics by the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Researchers said Solar Cycle 25 might be the strongest since records began. The team writes that this result contrasts sharply with the consensus estimate of a solar cycle of 25 magnitudes in the community.

As a result of this extreme solar maximum, Fox said society will be faced with challenges it hasn't faced before: 'We rely increasingly on land-based technology and infrastructure that are susceptible to the dynamic nature of space.' A strong solar cycle will be the first for many new government and commercial stakeholders.