The South African National Space Agency (SANSA) says the country can expect geomagnetic storm conditions to increase over the next 24 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is due to the arrival of an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection (CME), which was triggered by a long-duration X1.9 solar flare on Sunday, 18 January at around 20:00.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA solar flare is a sudden burst of light from the Sun with an immediate impact on the Earth\u2019s day side, disrupting high-frequency radio communications,\u201d SANSA explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSolar flares are ranked in five categories \u2014 A, B, C, M and X \u2014 based on their intensity. A-class flares are the weakest, while X-class flares are the most energetic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The African region was not affected by the high-frequency radio blackout on Sunday, as it was mostly out of the flare\u2019s impact range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe solar flare triggered a coronal mass ejection, which is a cloud of plasma released from the sun. This CME is Earth-directed, currently travelling from the Sun to the Earth,\u201d SANSA said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is expected to impact Earth from the early hours of Tuesday, 20 January. This impact will interact with the Earth\u2019s magnetic field and cause a geomagnetic storm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SANSA said the geomagnetic storm could reach G4\/Severe storm conditions, with the G-scale ranging from G1\/Minor to G5\/Extreme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The SANSA Space Weather Centre forecast that at least G1\/Minor to G2\/Moderate storms were expected, with G3\/Strong storms likely. G4\/Severe storms are a possibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnlike terrestrial storms, geomagnetic storms largely go unnoticed by people because their effects are felt mainly through technological systems,\u201d the space agency explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNavigation, communication, and electricity networks are the most at risk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Industries such as aviation and drone operations can be affected by the impact on navigation systems. SANSA said they should take note of the K-Index.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The K-Index is \u202fa standardised, global measure (0-9) of geomagnetic activity, showing how much the Earth’s magnetic field is disturbed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n