Solar Flares Could Interrupt Electrical Grid and Effect IoT

Beginning with an active surface region on the surface of the Sun March 11, and continued with two coronal mass events, or solar flares, on March 15, the Earth is currently in the middle of a rare severe geomagnetic storm, according to a March 17 briefing by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center.  The storm is classified as a G4, which is one shy of the most severe classification. In a briefing with the press, the NOAA said the two flares might have combined, which might explain the strength of the storm.

The primary effect of the event will be vivid breakouts of the Northern Lights, across much larger than usual areas. The NOAA said the Aurora might be visible as far south as New Mexico. Other potential effects of a severe magnetic storm like this include disruptions of electric grids, radio transmissions and GPS signals, none of which has been reported as of noon Eastern time on March 17. If the storm did cause grid problems, it could also disrupt M2M devices reliant upon satellite, cellular or electrically-dependant Wi-Fi and Bluetooth communications systems. The Space Weather Prediction Center reports that these storms only occur about 100 times in each solar cycle, or about 11 years. This is only the second such G4 event in the current cycle.

It should be noted that this event, while unusually strong, is nowhere near strong enough to cause a catastrophic event that might cause any lasting damage. The most likely effect is localized power failure or voltage instability from over-charged transformers failing under excess strain from the additional magnetic energy, but even this is unlikely. The whole event is expected to last between 24 and 36 hours. To listen to the briefing, click here.