Solar storm disrupts radio signals, flight comm

BANGALORE, INDIA: A raging solar storm left its impact on the Earth's atmosphere from 2030 IST on Tuesday.

A NASA statement said that the coronal mass ejection (CME) was now being considered the largest since October 2003, while it added that it was not harmful to humans. It can, however, can affect satellite operations and short wave radio.

The storm impact prompted U.S. carrier Delta Air Lines to divert some flights on polar routes between Detroit and Asia to avoid disruptions to aircraft communications by a strong solar radiation storm, some media reports suggested.

"We are undergoing a series of solar bursts in the sky that are impacting the northern side of the world,"  Delta spokesman Anthony Black was quoted as saying.

"It can impact your ability to communicate. So, basically, the polar routes are being flown further south than normal."