How solar storms that cause the Northern Lights have the power to wreak havoc on Earth - BBC Weather

The aurora borealis can bring stunning night skies, but hidden dangers can accompany the Northern Lights to disrupt life on Earth as Chris Fawkes explains.

Image source, BBC Weather Watchers / MoxleyByChris Fawkes Lead Weather PresenterPublished7 December 2025, 00:17 GMT171 CommentsWitnessing a dazzling display of the Northern Lights with vivid sheets of colour dancing across the night sky is a real treat for those lucky enough to be in the right place at just the right time.

But the charged particles hurled into space by our tempestuous Sun - the particles that create the aurora borealis - can also unleash very rare but extremely disruptive events here on Earth.

Electricity supplies, satellites and air travel can all be affected by the most violent solar storms.

Recently 6,000 planes were grounded by Airbus, requiring a software update after one of their planes experienced a "sudden drop in altitude" in October thought to be caused by interference from intense solar radiation.

This kind of disruption is something that scientists and governments are actively researching and planning for.