UAE not affected by incoming magnetic storms, says expert

The magnetic storms expected to hit Earth on Saturday and Sunday on 18 and 19 April are not anticipated to have a tangible impact on energy, communication, and navigation systems in the UAE, according to Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Emirates Astronomical Society (EAS) and member of the Arab Union for Space and Astronomy Sciences (AUSAS).

Al Jarwan explained in exclusive statements to Al Khaleej newspaper that increased solar activity and geomagnetic storms occur periodically and do not pose any concerns, except in rare cases where a very strong storm might affect the Earth’s surface, causing disruptions in some electrical devices and power transmission networks. He added that this happens only about once a century at most, similar to the “Carrington Event,” the largest recorded magnetic (geomagnetic) storm in history, which occurred in 1859, causing global telegraph network failures and the appearance of an aurora in tropical regions.

Additionally, he added, in 2022, 40 Starlink satellites fell due to a minor solar storm.