Astronomers warn of potential disruptions as Sun fires massive flare

A potent new X-class solar flare has burst forth from the side of the Sun facing Earth, according to Sergey Bogachev, head of the Solar Astronomy Laboratory at the Russian Space Research Institute (IKI RAS).

"Space monitoring facilities have registered a new top-level explosion on the Sun, preliminarily estimated at X1.1," the scientist said, according to Report.

This latest solar outburst follows a period of heightened activity in early August when a geomagnetic storm reaching the high G3 level swept across Earth. Ranked as "strong" on the five-tier monitoring scale, where G5 is "extremely strong" and G1 is "minor," a G3 storm can potentially disrupt energy systems and trigger false alarms in protective equipment.

With the Sun currently in an active phase of its 11-year cycle, the risks of further flares and eruptions directed towards our planet remain elevated.