Space weather

Severe space weather is one of the highest priority natural hazards in the UK National Risk Register and is recognised as having potential significant impact on the UK’s critical national infrastructure.

In response to the Government adding solar storms to the National Risk Register (NRR) of Civil Emergencies in 2011, the Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre (MOSWOC) was created to provide a UK operational space weather prediction centre to help protect the country from the serious threats posed by space weather events.

British Antarctic Survey works with the Met Office as well as a range of UK partners including Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC),  British Geological Survey (BGS), University of Bath, RAL Space, and several other universities contribute data, knowledge and models to support Met Office operational forecasting.

SPACECAST is a Collaborative Project funded by the European Union Framework 7 programme to help protect satellites on orbit by modelling and forecasting particle radiation. British Antarctic Survey plays a leading role in SPACECAST providing expert advice and resources to support satellite operators, designers and insurers.

Geomagnetic storms (space weather) are rapidly becoming one of the biggest potential threats to modern society. They can cause serious damage to power grids, communications satellites and other vital infrastructure. The potential ongoing costs from a single serious event have been estimated at up to £1·3 trillion a year.  Regular short and long-term forecasts of space weather and solar activity help to protect the infrastructure, scientific and commercial satellites.

An industry briefing note on Space weather produced by Lloyds explains the value of space weather resesearch to business.