Faint auroras may be visible in Northern Hemisphere skies after weekend solar storms

WASHINGTON (AP) — Solar storms persisting from the weekend may produce faint colorful auroras across the Northern Hemisphere, with little disruption to power and communications, space forecasters said Monday.

The sun has shot out at least five strong solar flares since Saturday containing clouds of high-energy plasma that can interfere with power grids and scramble GPS signals, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But no major communication problems have been reported so far, said NOAA spokesperson Erica Grow Cei.

Unusually strong solar storms in May produced jaw-dropping aurora displays across the Northern Hemisphere. Grow Cei said this event that produced light shows over the weekend will likely be shorter, but may still produce faint auroras as far south in the U.S. as Alabama and Northern California on Monday night.

The sun’s magnetic field is currently at the peak of its 11-year cycle, making storms and aurora displays more frequent.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.