Taiwan warns of 33-hour geomagnetic storm from Friday

Taipei, Nov. 6 (CNA) The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Thursday issued a geomagnetic storm alert, forecasting a space weather disturbance to begin around 5 a.m. Friday and continue for about 33 hours.

A geomagnetic storm is a temporary disturbance in Earth's magnetic field caused when bursts of solar wind or plasma from the Sun interact with the planet's magnetosphere.

The storm was triggered by a coronal mass ejection (CME) that erupted from an active region on the Sun on Wednesday, sharply increasing the speed and density of solar wind in space, according to the CWA's Space Weather Operational Office.

The storm is expected to pass through near-Earth space starting early Friday and last until Saturday afternoon, with intensity briefly reaching a moderate level, the office said.

The CWA warned that the geomagnetic disturbance could cause brief disruptions to satellite navigation and low- and high-frequency radio communications. Aurora activity may also occur in regions as low as 50 degrees magnetic latitude.

In addition, certain protective systems could issue false alarms and require voltage adjustments, while some satellite devices may experience electrical charge buildup, and low-Earth orbit satellites could face increased drag and need attitude corrections.