Scientists have issued a warning stating that the most potent category of solar flares, capable of causing worldwide transmission issues and blackouts, may occur this week.

On Sunday, radio blackouts were already detected, although the specific locations were not disclosed by the scientists.

This cautionary message originates from scientists in both the United States and Russia, CBS News has reported.

The scientists from Moscow’s Fedorov Institute of Applied Geophysics reported observing three solar flares on Sunday and expressed the possibility of X-class flares occurring on Monday, as per Reuters.

X-class flares represent the highest category of solar flare activity and are essentially described as “explosions on the surface of the sun” that can last from minutes to hours, according to NASA.

The agency refers to X-class flares as “the real juggernauts.”

NASA further explains that large flares can unleash a tremendous amount of energy, capable of powering the entire United States for millions of years.

The most powerful X-class flare on record occurred in 2003 and was so intense that it overwhelmed the measuring sensors, according to NASA.

The agency emphasizes that such powerful X-class flares can generate long-lasting radiation storms, which have the potential to damage satellites and expose airline passengers flying near the poles to small doses of radiation.

Moreover, X-class flares also possess the capacity to trigger global transmission issues and widespread blackouts.

Written by staff