A coronal mass ejection (CME) erupting from the Sun is expected to hit Earth on Sunday, igniting concern among scientists; its magnetic waves could affect critical infrastructure ranging from satellites to power grids, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported Saturday.

According to space weather physicist Dr. Tamitha Skov, "NASA model predictions show a very fast [solar storm] traveling near 1000 km/s that could hit Earth by midday June 1," i.e., Sunday. "A slower storm ahead might cause a slight traffic delay, but G4-levels by June 2 are possible. This means #aurora may be visible deep into mid-latitudes."

NOAA classifies geostorms on a range from G1 to G5, with G5 being the most severe.

Shawn Dahl, a space weather forecaster at NOAA, told Newsweek his agency is "already taking measures to notify FEMA for their awareness only at this time" so the agency can make "preparation[s] to deal with and manage geomagnetic induced currents that will likely develop in high voltage transmission lines," which could impact the nation's power grid.

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