Hong Kong won’t see auroras caused by solar storm, but may experience navigation and power disruptions: Observatory
- Observatory’s scientific officer says storm that hit Earth on Friday could affect communication, navigation and power systems ‘around the globe’
- Auroras rarely seen in relatively lower-latitude cities such as Hong Kong, though London experienced phenomena due to storm’s intensity
Hongkongers will not be able to see the auroras triggered by the world’s most powerful solar storm in more than two decades, although they may still experience disruptions to navigation and power systems caused by the storm, according to the Hong Kong Observatory.
Lao Wing-kwan, a scientific officer at the Observatory, said on Saturday the solar storm had been caused by the “relatively frequent activities of the sun”, which could potentially affect communication and power systems on Earth.
“It may affect the communication, navigation and power systems around the globe,” he said, adding the space weather could disrupt the operations of satellites and power grids.
Sparkling celestial light shows triggered by the geomagnetic storm were seen across the night skies of Canada, northern Europe, Britain and Australasia on Friday.
Overseas Hongkongers, including those who resided in Britain, posted pictures on social media showing the colourful glowing skies they saw from their locations.
But those residing in Hong Kong would not be seeing such phenomena, according to the scientific officer.