U.N. to upgrade "space weather" forecasts

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08 Jun Posted by earthman in Atmosphere

U.N. to upgrade "space weather" forecasts - OSLO (Reuters) - A U.N. plan to upgrade "space weather" forecasts can help the world cope with solar storms that might wreak up to $2 trillion in damage if the sun repeated a giant flare of 1859, experts said.

The World Meteorological Organization agreed at its May 16-June 3 congress to boost international coordination of space weather, working with the International Space Environment Service and the International Civil Aviation Organization. The WMO would encourage sharing of data and help coordinate research to improve space weather warnings to major application areas including aviation. Experts believe that solar storms might wreak up to $2 trillion in damage if the sun repeated a giant flare like that of 1859.

A solar superstorm on September 1, 1859, named after British astronomer Richard Carrington who observed it, set off fires in telegraph offices and produced an aurora so bright that people could read newspapers at night by the glow as reported by NASA. Geomagnetic storms on the sun take between half a day and 5 days to reach the earth after they erupt and monitoring and issuing warnings will be keys to reduce damages. 

[Reuters Environment]