Geomagnetic storm to intensify Tuesday, may disrupt satellite, radio signals: CWA

Taipei, Dec. 8 (CNA) A geomagnetic storm triggered by solar activity is expected to intensify early Tuesday and persist for about 39 hours, with its peak potentially causing brief disruptions to satellite navigation and radio communications, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.

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.

In an alert, the CWA's Space Weather Operational Office said a significant coronal mass ejection (CME) from an active region of the Sun on Sunday sharply increased the speed and density of solar wind in interplanetary space. Its effects are expected to sweep past near-Earth space early Tuesday.

Geomagnetic activity is forecast to strengthen from 5 a.m. Tuesday and remain elevated for around 39 hours, briefly reaching the intensity level of a moderate geomagnetic storm, the office said.

The storm may cause brief disruptions to satellite navigation and low- and high-frequency radio communications, it added.

Auroral activity may also be visible at latitudes as low as 50 degrees magnetic latitude, according to the office.

Certain protective devices in power systems could issue false alarms that require voltage adjustments, the office said.

It added that some satellite equipment may experience electrical charge buildup, while low Earth orbit satellites could face increased atmospheric drag, potentially requiring attitude corrections.