The coronal mass ejections (CME) are explosions of plasma and magnetic fields coming from the solar corona and could affect infrastructures in orbit near our planet and on the Earth’s surface this Friday through Sunday, said the institution.

In addition, they will cause disruptions in communication systems, power grids, navigation, radio, and satellite operations.

A storm like this could also cause the aurora to be seen as far south as Alabama and northern California, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center.

If the skies remain clear at night, residents of these high-latitude cities will be able to see the skies light up.

Every 11 years, the Sun’s magnetic field changes position, that is, its north and south poles shift.

jrr/abo/mem/cdg