The sun erupted with the year's most powerful solar flare on Wednesday, triggering widespread radio blackouts. The massive flare, one of two unleashed that day, caused shortwave radio disruptions across North America, South America, Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, as reported by Space.com. The sun unleashed the massive X-class solar flare at approximately 4:25 a.m. ET, marking the peak of the solar storm. The eruption unleashed a burst of X-rays and extreme ultraviolet radiation that hurtled toward Earth at the speed of light, rapidly ionising the upper atmosphere. This sudden change disrupted high-frequency radio signals, causing communication blackouts for some radio operators across multiple continents.
"This is getting intense, especially as this active region turns closer into view," aurora chaser Vincent Ledvina wrote in a post on X.
The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Centre (SWPC) noted that X-class solar flares, like the X2.7 flare on May 14, are rare and among the most powerful. "Flares of this magnitude are not frequent," according to a statement from the NOAA officials.
Solar flares are classified into five categories: A, B, C, M, and X, with each level indicating a tenfold energy increase. The X2.7 flare, though at the lower end of the X-class, triggered significant shortwave radio blackouts across five continents.
"More To Come"
Hours after the X2.7 flare on May 14, 2025, sunspot region AR4087 erupted again with a potent M5.3-class flare. By 7:20 a.m. ET on May 15, it unleashed another, an M7.74-class flare.
As the sunspot marches toward direct alignment with Earth, experts warn of potential further disruptions, including radio blackouts and power grid issues. Experts are advising space agencies and power companies to remain on high alert for potential fallout.
Some effects of these solar storms include:
- Radio Blackouts: High-frequency radio signals can be disrupted, causing communication dropouts for radio operators in affected regions.
- Power Grid Issues: Solar storms can induce currents in power grids, potentially leading to equipment damage and power outages.
- Satellite Disruptions: Solar flares and coronal mass ejections can harm satellites in orbit, affecting GPS systems and other critical services.
