Strong solar storm causes northern lights in Switzerland

The natural spectacle could be observed in many regions of Switzerland. The auroras were particularly visible outside the fog zones and at higher altitudes. Green auroras, which are rare in Switzerland, were also observed. On the Central Plateau, widespread fog and high fog below around 700 to 800 meters prevented visibility.

The geomagnetic storm reached level 4 on a five-level scale and could cause disruptions to power grids and satellites, explained Shawn Dahl from the US Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC). The storm began on Monday and is expected to continue on Tuesday, but will lose intensity as the day progresses.

Although there had been a storm of the highest level 5 for the first time in 20 years in 2024, the current solar storm was the strongest since 2003, said Dahl. Back then, a so-called Halloween solar storm caused widespread power outages in Sweden, among other places, and damaged energy infrastructure in South Africa.

According to Dahl, the current storm was triggered by a strong solar flare. Particles emitted during this can disrupt the Earth's magnetic field, which, in addition to the northern lights, can also cause disruption to radio communications, problems with satellites and overloads in the power grid. Northern Lights could also occur in regions where they are otherwise rarely observed.