The predicted Friday solar storms follow a radio blackout on Sunday, prompted by a powerful "X-Class" solar flare.
A powerful solar flare from a fast-growing sunspot on the Sun's surface triggered radio blackouts in some parts of the US. The giant sunspot, named AR3354, was first spotted on the Sun on June 27 and grew rapidly within a span of two days to a size about 10 times larger than Earth, raising concerns among space weather scientists.
This sunspot first produced a minor M-class flare on 29 June and, after a brief period of calm, unleashed an X-class flare - the most powerful category of solar flare the Sun can belch out - aimed directly at Earth.
M-class flares can cause brief radio blackouts at the poles and minor radiation storms that might endanger astronauts.
Although X is the last letter, there are flares more than 10 times the power of an X1, so X-class flares can go higher than 9.
The solar storm on Sunday led to brief radio blackouts lasting for about 30 minutes in the western US and parts of the eastern Pacific Ocean, according to NOAA. The flare peaked in intensity at 7.14pm ET on 2 July, Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory said in a statement.
Unlike the July 4th flares, it did not launch a CME. As noted, the flares set to hit Friday morning may result in mild power grid fluctuations, and the auroras may be seen as far south as Michigan and Maine.
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