A man looks at the Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, as it glows on the horizon over the waters of Lake Ellesmere on the outskirts of Christchurch, New Zealand, on January 21, 2026. Photo / Sanka Vidanagama, NurPhoto, AFP
A man looks at the Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, as it glows on the horizon over the waters of Lake Ellesmere on the outskirts of Christchurch, New Zealand, on January 21, 2026. Photo / Sanka Vidanagama, NurPhoto, AFP
Rays from the biggest solar storm of the past couple of decades hit the Earth overnight, causing aurora visible in both the north and south extremes of the globe.
The lights were caused by a storm that nearly hit the highest level on thescale used by space weather monitors to measure magnetic disturbance.
Early on Tuesday morning, NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) posted on X: “An S4 severe solar radiation storm is now in progress - this is the largest solar radiation storm in over 20 years. The last time S4 levels were observed was in October, 2003.
But, it noted: “Potential effects are mainly limited to space launch, aviation, and satellite operations.”
Nema stated the event was not concerning for NZ, with no significant impacts expected. Photo / Mel Heddershaw, Supplied
The agency had activated its Space Weather Science Advisory Panel, which had considered international space weather monitoring and forecasting agencies, as well as current information from the NZ-based monitoring network.
“On current conditions, the panel advises this event is not concerning for NZ and no significant impacts are expected. Nema and Transpower will continue to monitor the situation.”
