G4 – Severe geomagnetic storm expected as multiple CMEs merge and impact Earth 5/11

[putnam6]

Wow the aurora borealis might be visible as far south as Alabama, hmmm might have to check and see if that applies to North Georgia. I cant recall the aurora borealis ever being this far south. Seeing different forecasts but it should be clear where I am at but with light and regular pollution might want to get up in the mountains

https://www.sciencefocus.com/planet-eart...-been-seen
 Produced by fast-moving particles from the Sun smashing into molecules in the upper atmosphere, the Aurora Borealis is normally thought of as something visible only above the Arctic Circle. Yet at times of high solar activity, they can be seen much further south: during the great solar storm of August and September 1859, the colours typical of aurorae were seen in Honolulu, just 21° north of the equator.
Historians have uncovered evidence suggesting that the southern hemisphere counterpart of the Northern Lights, the Aurora Australis, may have been witnessed even closer to the equator, with reports of the phenomenon being seen from Samoa in 1921, at a latitude of 13° south, and a disputed report from Singapore at just 8° south during the storm of 25 September 1909.
https://watchers.news/2024/05/09/g4-seve...on-may-11/
G4 – Severe geomagnetic storm expected as multiple CMEs merge and impact Earth on May 11A G4 – Severe or greater geomagnetic storm is expected on May 11, with effects potentially extending into May 12 and 13. The storm is anticipated to impact regions primarily poleward of 45 degrees Geomagnetic Latitude. It could lead to widespread voltage control issues, with some protective systems potentially tripping key assets from the power grid due to mistakenly identified faults. Pipeline currents are also expected to intensify.
Spacecraft systems may face surface charging, heightened drag on low-earth orbit satellites, and potential tracking and orientation challenges. Satellite navigation (GPS) systems may experience significant degradation or become inoperable for hours. High-frequency (HF) radio communication could face sporadic propagation or complete blackouts. The aurora borealis might be visible as far south as Alabama and northern California.


 G4 is the second-highest geomagnetic storm classification on NOAA’s scale, occurring approximately 100 times per solar cycle, which spans 11 years. The only classification above G4 is G5 – Extreme, which occurs around four times per cycle.
A G5 – Extreme geomagnetic storm can have widespread and significant impacts across various systems. In power systems, these storms can lead to voltage control issues and malfunctions in protective systems, potentially causing entire grids to collapse or experience blackouts. Transformers can also suffer damage due to increased electrical stress.