Viral November 2026 solar storm theories: How risky is flying during extreme space weather, and what happened in 2025?

In November 2025, Earth experienced a powerful solar storm after the Sun launched three consecutive coronal mass ejections (CMEs) within 48 hours. The eruptions struck Earth and triggered an intense geomagnetic storm between November 11 and 13, producing auroras visible as far south as Florida. The three solar eruptions, which occurred on November 9, 10 and 11, were accompanied by CMEs that contributed to the geomagnetic storm. The storm reached severe levels and peaked for approximately six hours before subsiding.

The European Space Agency (ESA) said that, despite its intensity, the storm had a limited impact on critical technologies and posed no direct biological risk to people on Earth. However, a study published in the journal Space Weather found that passengers and crew aboard a commercial flight from London to New York experienced elevated radiation levels during the event. On that aircraft departing from London's Heathrow Airport, the radiation background increased by 42.6%. Solar activity also caused temporary disruptions to power grids and radio communications in parts of Europe and Africa.

Researchers from the University of Surrey noted that radiation exposure during this particular event was moderate and did not pose an immediate health risk to passengers. However, more powerful solar events could potentially increase radiation exposure and interfere with aircraft electronics.

How extreme solar storms could affect commercial flights

A separate study by researchers at the University of Surrey has warned that extreme space weather events could force airlines to reroute or ground flights while exposing passengers and crew to unusually high radiation levels. Published in the Journal of Space Weather and Space Climate, the research examines how extreme space weather, including powerful solar storms, affects radiation levels at commercial aircraft cruising altitudes of approximately 8 to 14 kilometres.

Researchers found that radiation exposure can increase significantly during major solar events. High-energy particles arriving from space can also trigger errors in onboard electronic systems. Although Earth's atmosphere provides some protection against cosmic radiation, passengers flying at high altitudes are exposed to higher radiation levels than people on the ground. This exposure can rise sharply during major solar events.

Measurements led by the Surrey Space Centre (SSC) showed that a major solar storm in November 2025 briefly pushed radiation levels to nearly 10 times the normal levels experienced during high-altitude flights.

Historical data also highlights the potential scale of the threat. Researchers found that the strongest solar storm on record, which occurred in 1956, could have exposed passengers to radiation equivalent to approximately a year of flight-related cosmic radiation.

Solar storms could interfere with aircraft electronics

Beyond radiation exposure, the study highlights the potential impact of extreme space weather on aircraft electronics. High-energy particles released during solar activity can interfere with onboard electronic systems, triggering events known as Single Event Upsets (SEUs). These occur when energetic particles disrupt electronic components, potentially causing data errors or unexpected system behaviour.

While individual errors may be minor, repeated disruptions could affect critical aircraft systems and increase the workload of pilots. According to the research, under extreme space weather conditions, the number of such incidents could increase from a few per hour to thousands.

In October 2025, a JetBlue flight travelling from Cancún to Newark made an emergency landing in Florida following an incident involving its flight control computer. Subsequently, Airbus temporarily grounded around 6,000 A320 aircraft after identifying a vulnerability in a flight control computer to intense solar radiation.

Why polar flight routes face greater risks

Researchers identified polar flight routes as particularly vulnerable to extreme space weather. Flights operating between airports such as London Heathrow and Vancouver International Airport in Canada could face greater radiation exposure because Earth's magnetic shielding is weaker near the poles.

Earth's magnetic field helps deflect charged particles arriving from the Sun and other sources in space. However, this protection is less effective near polar regions, allowing more energetic particles to penetrate the atmosphere. During severe geomagnetic storms, the effects can extend beyond polar regions and reach areas further south, including the UK.

Viral November 2026 solar storm theories: Is there a real threat?

Meanwhile, the social media is filled with viral November 2026 solar storm theories. Claims circulating online about the world ending on November 13, 2026, have linked the date to concerns about extreme solar activity. "The world ends on Friday, November 13, 2026 - according to an old study published in a scientific journal. On October 29, 2026, multiple telescopes confirmed the appearance of a prominence explosion about 1.5 million kilometers above the sun's surface. According to the Solar Astronomy Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, this could indicate a powerful G3-G4 class magnetic storm, which may impact Earth. Expected arrival to Earth in 1-3 days. That is, November 2-3," read on tweet.

However, the existence of research warning about aviation risks during powerful solar storms does not establish that such an event is expected to occur on that date. Solar storms are a natural space weather phenomenon, and their intensity varies. While severe events can disrupt satellite operations, radio communications, navigation systems and power infrastructure, they do not automatically pose a direct biological threat to people on Earth's surface.

According to ESA, solar activity follows an 11-year cycle, alternating between periods of high or low intensity. Since there was a huge solar storm last year, another such event this year might not happen. So far NASA, ESA or any other agency have not issued any waring so far. So take such viral tweets with a pinch of salt.