Geomagnetic to intensify this year
Scientists forecast that around 40-45 geomagnetic storms would hit Vietnam this year with more powerful intensity than in previous years.
Associate Professor Ha Duyen Chau, a scientist at the Institute of Geophysics, said that geomagnetic storms are expected to reach level 5, the highest level, because the sun will reach the peak of its 11-year cycle, putting the planet at greater risk of such storms between the end of 2012 and 2013.
Only 30 relatively weak storms hit the country last year, according to Chau.
Powerful geomagnetic storms could affect human health, particularly those with a family history of heart disease, bone disease and those vulnerable to geomagnetic storms, Chau said.
They might feel tired and experience bone-related pain, he added.
According to Chau, the national power grid and transformers may break down or sustain damage, resulting in blackouts.
Chau also said that the storms would be at their strongest at the auroral zones near the North Pole, South Pole and areas around the Equator.
The first geomagnetic storm was believed to have been observed early in the 19th century.