A powerful blast of solar particles is racing towards Earth at millions of miles per hour, with the Met Office warning of a 'severe' solar storm expected to arrive overnight on Monday, January 19, 2026, or early Tuesday morning.
What is a Solar Storm and What Are the Risks?
The event, known as a coronal mass ejection (CME), involves the sun ejecting a vast cloud of charged particles—protons, electrons, and helium nuclei—into space. When this barrage collides with Earth's magnetic field, it can create significant geomagnetic disturbances.
While this type of storm occurs high in the atmosphere and poses no direct physical danger to people on the ground, it carries real risks for technology. Spacecraft and radio satellites could be knocked out, and power grids face potential disruption, though forecasters say widespread electricity outages are unlikely on this occasion.
A Silver Lining: Chance to See the Aurora
For residents across the United Kingdom, the incoming solar storm presents a spectacular opportunity. The interaction of solar plasma with Earth's magnetic field is likely to produce vivid displays of the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis), potentially visible much further south than usual.
Krista Hammond, the Met Office's space weather manager, confirmed the potential. 'The CME is likely to result in geomagnetic storming, giving the potential to view the aurora,' she said. However, she noted that clear, dark skies are essential for sightings, and unfortunately, cloud and rain forecast for Tuesday evening may obstruct the view for many.
Timing Uncertainty and Increased Speed
The CME was initially predicted to arrive later on Tuesday, but space weather forecasters have since revised their models, finding the storm is travelling faster than first anticipated. 'There is still some uncertainty around the exact timing of the CME’s arrival,' Hammond stated, 'but it is expected overnight tonight or tomorrow morning.'
At the time of the original report, monitoring services like AuroraWatch UK were showing 'no significant activity', but that is expected to change rapidly as the storm front approaches. The public is advised to keep an eye on official forecasts for the latest updates on both the storm's impact and the best chances to witness the celestial light show.
