'Extreme' geomagnetic storm hits Earth, may affect satellites, spacecrafts

An "extreme" level 5 geomagnetic storm has hit Earth, which may disrupt power plants, satellites and spacecraft’s orbiting the earth, New York Post reported.

This is the first time in 21 years that a magnetic storm of this magnitude has been observed.

It is expected that the storm may turn into level 6 danger by Saturday evening, threatening power grid lines in the north of the United States.

A geomagnetic storm, also known as a solar storm, is a disturbance on the sun that causes huge bursts of energy in the form of solar flares and coronal mass ejections to emanate towards the solar system, including the earth and the surrounding space.

These solar flares or electrical charges produce a dazzling "aurora borealis" display in parts of the atmosphere, which can be seen near the Arctic Circle.

Due to extreme solar flares, northern lights may be visible as far south as Alabama.

In the US, the northern lights can be seen from Virginia to southern Alabama, covering Colorado and ending in Northern California.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Organisation (NOAA), the solar storm can cause "widespread voltage control problems and protective system problems, some grid systems may experience complete collapse or blackouts."