'We need to be ready': Scientists warn of major solar storm as study notes huge radiation spike in flight zone

The Sun recently unleashed the strongest flares called X-rays, which not only triggered beautiful auroras but also led to a solar storm that breached previous recordings. The Sun is currently at solar maximum, the peak of its 11-year solar cycle that started in 2024. Because of this, Earth has been bearing the brunt of geomagnetic storms, with aeroplanes now facing hazardous conditions. The Surrey Space Centre (SSC) in the United Kingdom has noted in a study that a recent burst of solar activity caused a sharp radiation spike. This was so strong that it was even detected from the ground, a first in nearly 20 years. “This was the strongest ground-level event we’ve seen since December 2006,” Clive Dyer, a climate scientist at the University of Surrey in the UK, said in a statement.

On November 11, when an intense solar flare smashed into Earth, the UK and the Netherlands met offices released weather balloons to measure the solar storm. Flying at 40,000 ft, an altitude used by business jets and supersonic transport, they found that radiation levels were ten times the normal range. The readings were the highest in 20 years. "This was our first chance to use the new rapid-reaction balloon sensors in a real event, and it worked very well, giving us a ‘3D’ picture of radiation increases across UK airspace for the first time," Keith Ryden, SSC head, said in the statement.

Also Read: Most dangerous solar storm to hit Earth potentially altered life thousands of years ago

Now, scientists are concerned that an even bigger geomagnetic storm might slam Earth, since it has happened in the past. A strong solar storm could prove damaging for on-board aircraft electronic systems and corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls. “We know from historical observations that significantly bigger events are possible, and we need to be ready," Dyer said.

The Carrington Event - Strongest solar storm in recorded history

The strongest solar storm that ripped through Earth happened in 1859 and is known as the Carrington Event. The geomagnetic storm peaked on September 1-2 during solar cycle 10, and was so intense that the resultant auroras woke up a group of gold miners over the Rocky Mountains in the US. They were even visible at lower latitudes and near the equator. Telegraph systems all over Europe and North America failed, and generated electric shocks to operators. There were also reports of fire from some places.