Transpower said it will issue further operational notices when the storm passes and either remove the grid emergency or provide additional information if the severity of the situation worsens.
What is space weather?
Transpower said it monitors weather in New Zealand and weather in space that can affect our power system.
“Space weather is when the sun ejects plasma and other matter in Earth’s direction. These coronal mass ejections [CME] are rare, and most people won’t notice because our planet’s magnetic field shields us from the particles.
“However, these CMEs can cause geomagnetic storms on Earth and these storms can send unwanted currents through the long electricity circuits that we manage,” Transpower said.
When the currents reach transformers in the Transpower substations or the large hydroelectric dams, they have the potential to cause significant damage.
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