Large solar storm expected to hit Earth today

The Earth is in the path of a powerful burst of solar radiation expected to arrive in coming hours.

The solar storm comes four days after a C1 solar flare took place on the surface of the sun, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction centre announced.

The solar flare released a coronal mass ejection, which cause geomagnetic storms when they reach the Earth.

In spite of being an enormous weather event, on Earth it will be mostly experienced as a spectacle.

The solar storm will increase the brightness of auroras, best seen in the far north and far south of the globe.

And while solar storms have the potential to be dangerous, they are by and large harmless to the average person.

Only astronauts and people flying at high altitudes are exposed to significant radiation, and even that will not pose a significant health risk to them.