Devastating space storms could strike Earth at any time – and we would only have 15 minutes of warning.
A direct hit from a space storm would wipe out power across the globe plunging the earth into complete darkness.
Chillingly, experts would only know about the cataclysmic phenomenon 15 minutes before it ploughs into us.
Space storms can come in a number of different forms but the most destructive is a coronal mass ejection (CME.)
These can send billions of tonnes of matter hurtling through space at more than seven million mph in a spectacular explosion.
They are caused by the sun shooting a giant cloud of magnetized plasma off into space and would cripple the earth by affecting technology, satellites and disrupting power supplies.
CMEs are often associated with solar flares – a giant explosion on the surface of the sun that sends energy and particles streaming off into space – but can occur independently.
Catherine Burnett, manager of the Met Office’s space weather program, told the Mirror: “Coronal mass ejections can travel in any direction from the Sun.”
“If they heading our way their size means they would completely engulf the Earth.”
“It takes a significant coronal mass ejection 19 hours to travel to the Earth. But once we have seen a coronal mass ejection leave the Sun we still will not know until 15 minutes before it reaches Earth what its magnetic orientation is and if we will see any impact.”
“We don’t get a very large forecast window to know there is something on the way.”
A massive solar storm hasn’t hit the Earth since the mid-19th century and major space storms are thought to have a recurrence every 100 to 200 years – but they can occur at any time.