Dazzling Solar Storm Tested Power Grids. Data Suggests More Are Coming.

From Bloomberg

The largest geomagnetic storm since 2003 that occurred last Friday may be just the beginning of a more intense than expected period of solar activity. More explosions of energy and light occurred in the days following the giant storm that delivered a brilliant display of light, known as the aurora (borealis in the Northern Hemisphere, australis in the Southern), far beyond its normal viewable range. The storms are also continuing to cause widespread radio blackouts and distortions to normal energy patterns across the Americas.

While irregularities in electrical wave patterns are expected, extreme deviations were widely observed simultaneously across the US, according to data provided by Whisker Labs Inc. This is the first time such a strong solar storm has been tracked in real time across the country. The data are collected from smart-home sensors that monitor electric surges and power quality, and show the disturbance easily reached the homes of more than 50 million people.