Solar storm doesn't bash Earth but more are coming

The solar storm buffeting the Earth on Thursday isn't as bad as physicists had expected, but there's still a chance it could get worse before it's over. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warned that a few hundred solar storms can be expected over the next decade. A solar flare and a coronal mass ejection, which is a burst of solar wind, that erupted on the sun earlier this week began hitting the Earth's magnetic field early Thursday. The solar storm, which is expected to continue through Friday morning, is not as bad as scientists had expected. 

However, physicist and NOAA's space weather scientist Joseph Kunches said there's still a chance the solar storm will increase in intensity before it's over. "It's still coming," Kunches said at a press conference. "The magnetic storm still could intensify... Given the strength of the current storm, there shouldn't be any significant impacts. If the storm intensifies, though, it could be a different set of circumstances." The NOAA issued warnings that the solar storm could be strong enough to disrupt GPS systems, communications and electronic devices. However, on Thursday. NOAA rated the storm a G1, which is a low-level occurrence. The agency said it is only aware of communications at the poles being affected. Over the past 24 hours, some airlines have diverted flights that normally travel over the North and South Poles because they were trying to avoid communication problems, Kunches said. The high radiation levels associated with solar eruptions can affect high-frequency communications, such as the ones often used by airlines, the military and mariners. The communication networks most often affected are in the polar regions, he said.