Scientists Warn a Rare Solar Storm Could Knock Out Power, GPS and Communications Worldwide

A Once-in-a-Century Threat to Modern Life

Scientists are raising serious concerns about a category of solar storm so powerful it occurs only once every hundred years or so — and warning that if such an event struck Earth today, the consequences for modern infrastructure could be severe.

A major geomagnetic storm of this scale could threaten electricity grids, satellites, GPS navigation systems and communications networks simultaneously — and our civilisation, more dependent on interconnected technology than at any previous point in history, has never been exposed to one.

What a Solar Storm Actually Does

Solar storms occur when the Sun ejects a burst of charged particles and electromagnetic radiation toward Earth. When these interact with our planet's magnetic field, the effects cascade through technology in several ways:

• Power grids: Strong geomagnetic storms induce electrical currents in transmission lines, potentially causing regional or even continental blackouts. The 1989 Quebec blackout — caused by a storm far smaller than the worst-case scenario — left 6 million people without power for up to nine hours
• Satellites and GPS: Charged particles damage onboard electronics and sensors. GPS systems used by drivers, ships, aircraft, logistics firms and emergency services all depend on satellite signals that would be compromised or lost during a major event
• Communications: Radio communications, mobile phone services and internet systems could experience disruptions — both directly and through indirect effects on power supplies and timing signals

We Already Have a Warning Sign

This is not purely theoretical. In May 2024, a significant solar event produced spectacular auroras across Europe and North America — and simultaneously caused operational failures in satellite-based agricultural guidance systems used by farmers across multiple countries.

That event was nowhere near the scale scientists are warning about. Its real significance is as a demonstration of how vulnerable modern infrastructure has become — and a reminder that space weather is not an abstract future risk but something that already affects systems people rely on.

Why We Are More Exposed Than Ever

The paradox of technological progress is that it has created new vulnerabilities. Modern society runs on interlocking layers of technology — smartphones, banking apps, cloud services, logistics networks, transport systems — that each depend on others functioning correctly. A disruption to one layer can cascade rapidly through the whole system in ways that would not have been possible in less connected eras.

Scientists emphasise that we are more exposed to severe space weather than at any previous point in human history — not because the Sun is more active, but because we have built a civilisation that depends on technologies the Sun can disrupt.

Monitoring and Preparation

The good news is that solar storms can be monitored. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory provides real-time imagery of the Sun, and a network of space agencies and observatories tracks solar activity continuously. In the event of a major coronal mass ejection heading toward Earth, operators of power grids and satellite networks may have hours or even days of warning — enough time to implement protective measures if systems are designed to take advantage of them.

The challenge is that preparation requires investment and planning now, before a crisis arrives. Whether governments and infrastructure operators are doing enough on that front is a question scientists are increasingly pressing.

For individuals, the practical takeaway is straightforward: a major solar storm, while rare, is not a matter of if but when. Keeping basic emergency supplies — water, food, cash, a battery-powered radio — is sensible preparation for any infrastructure disruption, solar or otherwise.

This article is based on reporting from Euro Weekly News, published April 25, 2026.