FOX Weather meteorologist Stephen Morgan breaks down the Northern Lights and how you can see them.
An ongoing severe geomagnetic storm could hinder recovery response to Hurricanes Milton and Helene across Florida and the Southeast as well as create displays of Northern lights as far south as Alabama on Thursday night.
NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) issued a Geomagnetic Storm Alert on Thursday after severe geomagnetic storming was observed.
The SWPC rates solar storms on a five-level scale, with five being the most extreme and rarest space weather conditions.The SWPC said extreme (G5) levels are possible.
The solar storm is forecast to continue through Friday after impacts from a coronal mass ejection began arriving to Earth on Thursday.
The SWPC has been in contact with FEMA and state agencies involved in disaster recovery efforts because these storms could impact ongoing work across the Southeast from Hurricanes Milton and Helene. Geomagnetic storms and radiation from the Sun can affect the power grid, as well as GPS and radio blackouts and impacts on satellites.
“This storm could impact ongoing recovery efforts for Hurricanes Helene and Milton in several critical ways,” the SPWC said.
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An employee collects some of their belongings from a beauty salon that was destroyed by the intense tornado that hit Cocoa Beach, Florida, on October 10, 2024. Hurricane Milton tore a coast-to-coast path of destruction across the US state of Florida, whipping up a spate of deadly tornadoes that left at least four people dead, but avoiding the catastrophic devastation officials had feared. (Photo by GIORGIO VIERA / AFP) (Photo by GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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A woman collects debris caused by the destruction of the tornado’s path in Cocoa Beach, Florida,on October 10, 2024. Hurricane Milton tore a coast-to-coast path of destruction across the US state of Florida, whipping up a spate of deadly tornadoes that left at least four people dead, but avoiding the catastrophic devastation officials had feared. (Photo by GIORGIO VIERA / AFP) (Photo by GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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Storm damage in Treasure Island, Florida, after Milton. (@TresIslandFL / X)
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A police vehicle blocks an intersection where a traffic signal pole snapped n the downtown business area after Hurricane Milton passed through on October 10, 2024 in Orlando, Florida. The storm made landfall on Wednesday night on Florida’s Gulf coast as a Category 3 hurricane before traveling across Central Florida, causing massive destruction and leaving 3 million Floridians without power. (Photo by Paul Hennessy/Anadolu via Getty Images) ( )
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Sand piles in front of buildings after Hurricane Milton in St. Pete Beach, Florida, US, on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. More than 3 million people are without power as of Thursday morning, after Hurricane Milton made landfall and crossed the state. Photographer: Tristan Wheelock/Bloomberg via Getty Images ( )
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A Construction crane crashed into a building in downtown St. Pete on Oct. 10, 2024. (St. Petersburg Police)
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A woman talks to a motorist on a street littered with storm debris from Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton on October 10, 2024 in Venice, Florida. Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane in the Siesta Key area. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images) ( )
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A drone image shows the dome of Tropicana Field which has been torn open due to Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg, Florida, on October 10, 2024. (BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP)
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A drone image shows a flooded street due to Hurricane Milton in Siesta Key, Florida, on October 10, 2024. At least four people were confirmed killed as a result of two tornadoes triggered by Hurricane Milton on the east coast of the US state of Florida, local authorities said Thursday. (Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo / AFP)
The SWPC warned that systems that depend on low-Earth orbit satellites for high-frequency communication may experience disruptions. Internet and cell service have been an issue in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene’s flooding, and some have relied on SpaceX’s Starlink internet to stay connected.
The geomagnetic storm could also put additional stress on power grids weakened by the back-to-back hurricanes. More than 3 million people across Florida are without power after Hurricane Milton’s landfall on Wednesday night in Siesta Key.
GPS navigation services used for disaster relief response may be degraded because of the ongoing solar storm.
How far south will the Northern lights be visible?
While impacts to the power and communication grid won’t help, many are excited about the chance to see the Northern lights, which are created by charged particles from the Sun as they interact with Earth’s atmosphere.
If the sky is clear on Thursday night, Northern lights could be visible across the U.S. Aurora borealis sightings have already been reported across Europe on Thursday.
Thursday night aurora lights forecast.
This geomagnetic storm could be the strongest since Earth experienced near-global auroras in May, even as far south as Florida when an “extreme” (G5) geomagnetic storm occurred because of two groups of extremely active sunspots.
7 FACTS ABOUT THE NORTHERN LIGHTS
Scientists use the Kp-index to characterize the magnitude of geomagnetic storms, and the SWPC uses it to decide whether it issues geomagnetic storm alerts.
The graphic below updates every 30 minutes with the possibility of viewing auroras in North America.
(FOX Weather)
The greatest Kp-index levels are forecast to happen Thursday night, reaching 8 out of 9 on the geomagnetic storm scale. Already on Thursday afternoon, the KP value hit 7.67. According to the SWPC, KP levels could range between 5 and 8 through Friday.