Solar storms are increasing: how are they affecting us?

BarcelonaThis weekend, a powerful solar flare caused the eruption of solar material that began reaching Earth today: a large amount of particles are impacting the Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field. This is not an exceptional situation nor is it dangerous for life on our planet, but these particles resulting from solar storms can sometimes cause disruption to artificial satellites and telecommunications.

Particles from this solar storm are expected to affect our planet at least until Wednesday. According to forecasts, this is a geomagnetic storm that will reach category G3. To give you an idea, the solar storms that caused the northern lights in Catalonia last year were category G4, more severe than the current one.

Solar activity has peaked since last year. The sun experiences cycles of approximately 11 years, and the peak of the current cycle has recently been seen. During these periods of maximum activity, the number of sunspots and solar flares increases, sending particles toward our planet.

This process primarily affects the Earth's two poles, as this is where the Earth's magnetic field is weakest. All of this causes the northern lights, which can be seen at lower latitudes than usual, although on this occasion they are not expected in Catalonia. Furthermore, there could be significant disruptions to telecommunications. This is a growing problem, given that technology is more present than ever in our daily lives. Therefore, in situations like these, we could experience occasional internet outages on our mobile phones or computers, among other consequences.