SUNDAY'S STORM

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23615, 27 March 1940, Page 9

SUNDAY'S STORM

WORST FOR 30 YEARS BROKEN COMMUNICATION WIRELESS DISLOCATION By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received March 26, 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, March 28 The great magnetic storm on Sunday completely cut off Britain from America and Scandinavia. It also interrupted short-wave communication across the Atlantic for 14 hours. Post Office officials say it was the worst storm for 30 years. The Aurora Borealis visible at Bologna and also West Bulgaria. SOLAR ACTIVITY DISTURBANCES RESULT NEW ZEALAND OBSERVATIONS [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Tuesday The magnetic storm in England referred to in yesterday's cablegrams seems to have affected the northern hemisphere to a greater degree than this part of the world. Although during the last few days magnetic disturbances have been noticed throughout New Zealand, the northern magnetic poje rather than the southern seems to have been the target for electrons coming to earth as the result of sunspot activity. Sunspots, when markedly active, seem to have a detrimental effect on short-wave radio, and in extreme cases cause a complete blackout, and even long-wave radio is affected. In January the presence was reported of a group of sunspots which developed until, on Thursday last week, they appeared as one on the extreme edge of the sun with a length over 43,000 miles. The spot has since become more centrally situated and observations show that considerable changes have been and are taking place. This morning quite a different group of spots, consisting of no fewer than 46 regimented and single spots, could be counted and the whole siln was more active "than it has been for months. The big spot is likely to cross the sun's meridian to-day, and following it is the whole group of other spots. Auroral displays more marked than those reported yesterday may be looked for to-night and to-morrow, for the main effects of the big sunspot are frequently more manifest after the spot has crossed the sun's meridian than before.