Solar flare to hit flights

The largest solar storm in five years has hit the earth today. A massive cloud of charged particles could disrupt utility grids, airline flights, satellite networks and GPS services. “It’s hitting us right in the nose,” said Joe Kunches, a scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Boulder, Colo. Solar storms don’t harm people, but they do disrupt technology. Solar storms can make global positioning systems less accurate and cause GPS outages. The storm could trigger communication problems and additional radiation around the north and south poles — a risk that will probably force airlines to reroute flights.