Reports over the past few days indicate that a shock wave of dense and rapid solar wind is heading towards Earth, even surpassing a speed of 800 km per second. This is the result of intense solar flares. There have been multiple coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the surface of the Sun, the central star of our planetary system.

This triggered a magnetic storm, characterized by an aurora of seldom-seen intensity. It was noticeable in Poland, a large portion of Europe, and North Africa.

As of Friday, Grzegorz Walijewski, the spokesperson for the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management, forecasted that the solar storm could potentially escalate to a G5 level, indicative of an “exceptionally powerful geomagnetic storm.” Such intense solar activity could interfere with the functioning of certain electronic devices, such as GPS systems.

Residents from various regions of the country witnessed this remarkable phenomenon.

A strikingly similar spectacle could be seen in the sky over the town of Sułoszowa.

The magnetic storm’s effects were also noticeable in the Masurian and Podhale regions.

“Three indices are typically used to characterize space weather: geomagnetic storms (disturbances in the Earth’s magnetic field caused by solar wind conditions), radiation storms (an increase in radiation associated with a rise in the number of energetic particles), and radio disturbances (radio blackouts, i.e., ionospheric disturbances triggered by solar X-ray emissions). Alerts based on these indices serve to warn society about potential adverse effects,” explain the experts from the Meteorological Modeling Centre of the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW).