Authors: Alister W. Graham
Abstract: Solar activity is expected to remain at moderate to high levels over the coming days. More M-class, and possibly X-class flares are expected from the vicinity of the northeast limb of the Sun. Due to high solar winds and approaching electron and magnetic clouds, geophysical activity is expected to be unsettled increasing to active levels by tonight. Storm warnings are issued for the high latitudes during the coming period.
Sounding like an excerpt from a science fiction story, this is actually very close to the real `space weather' reports which are daily and jointly prepared by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Air Force and the Space Environment Center. Why do they issue such reports? Because `space storms' from heightened solar activity interfere with radio and satellite communications, can cause disruptions and loss of satellites, endanger the lives of astronauts and passengers on supersonic aircraft, and have led to the failure of power grids at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars.