A Russian health expert reported that magnetic storms may exacerbate chronic diseases, such as hypertension and coronary heart disease, pointing out that delays in seeking medical assistance during inappropriate times can become fatal for such individuals. Family doctor Sergey Chudakov told TASS: "A magnetic storm can be deadly due to medical care not being provided in a timely manner; either the person did not have enough time to seek help or did not take the situation seriously."
He explained: "Some people wait until the last moment and do not go to the doctor, which is dangerous. Symptoms may include worsening hypertension, pain in the back of the head, facial and eye redness, and palpitations. Patients with low blood pressure may experience weakness and feeling faint."
The International Astronomy Center announced it had captured images of the sun using a solar telescope dedicated to observing solar phenomena, operating in the Hydrogen Alpha wavelength. At the Al-Khathm Observatory in Abu Dhabi, the images displayed a gigantic sunspot that caused the strongest magnetic storm on Earth in 21 years, while a second image showed the giant flames erupting from the sun.
Mohammed Shawkat Awda, director of the International Astronomy Center, confirmed that the sun experienced four strong flares within two days. The first occurred on Thursday, May 9, at 09:00 UTC, with a strength of X2.3, the second on Thursday at 18:00 with a strength of X1.1, the third on Friday at 06:54 with a strength of X4.0, and the fourth on Saturday at 01:23 with a strength of X5.8. All of these events caused disruptions in high-frequency wireless communications for hours in specific areas of the Earth, including the Arab world.
He stated: "Solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were released from the flares heading towards Earth, and when these emissions reach Earth, they cause disturbances in the Earth's magnetic field and result in the appearance of auroras. Due to the strength of these eruptions and emissions, auroras were observed in areas that had not seen them in a long time." He noted that all these phenomena originated from the giant sunspot designated AR3664, and there is close monitoring of these flares and explosions due to the risks they pose to satellites, flights near the poles, as well as interference with communications and the Earth's magnetic field, among other dangers associated with these phenomena.
