Weatherwatch: the havoc caused by solar storms

UK group has put forward proposals for mitigating effects of any future solar stormIn May 1921, a giant sunspot erupted, ejecting masses of solar material towards the Earth. This solar storm produced auroras visible all the way to the equator, and a rash of fires.A telegraph exchange in Sweden was the first to burst into flames, followed by a control tower near New York's Grand Central Station. Long stretches of telegraph wire were acting as aerials; the resulting induced currents were strong enough to blow fuses and cause overheating, sometimes resulting in fires. Continue reading...