A 'severe' solar storm is being watched closely by the National Emergency Management Agency. This storm could make the aurora australis, or southern lights, visible across parts of Australia. It also has the potential to disrupt power grids and GPS signals. Australian astrophysicist Sara Webb explained, "a solar storm is a sudden event on the surface of the sun, where particles and plasma are ejected away from the surface and into space." When these particles hit Earth's magnetic field, they create the aurora displays. A major flare from the sun on January 18 began hitting Earth late that night. The Bureau of Meteorology issued an alert for January 20. They said the geomagnetic storm may cause auroras to appear during the night as far north as parts of Victoria and New South Wales in good viewing conditions. Physicist Hannah Schunker said people in New Zealand and Tasmania have the best chances to see bright shows because they are closer to the South Pole. "The last few years have been very kind to us," she said. The auroras can last from 20 minutes to an hour and may appear suddenly. The northern lights might also be visible in North America and Europe hours before the southern lights appear in Australia. Shawn Dahl from NOAA said the storm's power hasn't been seen in over 20 years and might light the skies in unusual places. However, the storm could also interfere with satellites, GPS, and other tech, warns the US Geological Survey. Schunker explained the storm can expand Earth's upper atmosphere, affecting satellite orbits and causing GPS errors. It can also induce strong electric currents capable of damaging power grids. "Hopefully there will be very little impact for Australia or New Zealand," she added, "but power companies and satellite firms are watching closely." Webb reassured, "There is no immediate concern, but there is a non-zero chance of outages or planned shutdowns." She noted past storms have disrupted air traffic control and grounded planes. "For humans, we'll be fine and might be lucky enough to see the aurora." New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency expects no significant impacts. Transpower confirmed it is monitoring the situation with contingency plans ready, but no expected effect on electricity supply.