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Space weather forecasters warn that a severe solar storm heading towards Earth could stress power grids even more as the United States is already dealing with hurricanes. A severe geomagnetic storm watch has been issued for Thursday into Friday. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said on Wednesday that it has notified and warned the operators of power plants to take precautions. Such a storm can temporarily disrupt power and radio signals. 

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NOAA has also alerted the Federal Emergency Management Agency about possible power disruptions, as the organisation is already coping with the horrific aftermath of Hurricane Helene and gearing up for Hurricane Milton moving across the Gulf of Mexico towards Florida.

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Space forecasters are not expecting the solar storm to surpass the one that hit Earth in May, the strongest in more than two decades. However, they won’t know the impact until it is 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometres) away, where spacecraft can measure it. 

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Rob Steenburgh, the scientist of NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Centre, said that Florida is far enough to experience power disruptions unless the solar storm gets bigger. Steenburgh said, “That adds a little bit more to the comfort level.” He added,  "Why we're here is to let them know so that they can prepare."

NOAA space weather forecaster Shawn Dahl said that the experts are more concerned about the power grids of the area slammed by Hurricane Helene two weeks ago. 

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According to NOAA, the storm can trigger northern lights as far south in the U.S., and the exact locations can differ. Skygazers are also suggested to point their phones upward, as cameras can sometimes capture auroras that human eyes cannot. 

The solar storm in May produced dazzling auroras across the Northern Hemisphere but resulted in no major destruction.

(With inputs from agencies)