Photo: Jeff Ng / suppliedA fast-moving Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) from the Sun has hit Earth today, causing a severe G4 geomagnetic storm. Dunedin astronomer Dr Ian Griffin said it was expected to create spectacular aurora australis across southern skies tonight, and he encouraged everyone to get out and take a look. "The radiation storm, which is something that precedes the event, has been really, really strong all afternoon, and that's always a good sign. Sometimes, it will remove South Island electricity transmission lines from service to prevent damage to critical equipment. Nema is monitoring the large ejections and believed they were unlikely to result in significant impacts to New Zealand’s electricity grid.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 20, 2026 06:18 UTC