There is an increased likelihood of solar storms similar to the "extreme" Mother's Day weekend storm that brought aurora australis to South Africa, as the sun heads toward its expected peak activity in July next year.
Last weekend, a huge sunspot 15 times as big as Earth, shot a massive cloud of plasma our way, prompting the most severe space weather warning issued by authorities since the early 2000s.
Solar storms have the potential to cause havoc with electrical equipment. Grid, transport and communication infrastructure have historically been the most affected.