The Victorians also struggled with the effect of space weather in 1859 when a huge solar eruption caused a geomagnetic storm that interfered with railway signalling and telegraph lines.

The first recorded solar flare was spotted in 1859 ... A geomagnetic storm resulted in communications blackouts, a major power outage in Quebec, Canada, and the loss of positional knowledge ...

On a hot and humid Florida night in late August 1859, the sky suddenly lit up ... The aurora was a result of the most intense solar storm in recorded history, now called the Carrington Event.

A solar storm of similar intensity to 1859's "Carrington Event" right now ... “Every country is a bit at a loss and unprepared for that type of a scenario,” said Gerrard.

The Carrington sunspot is renowned for the intense solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) it unleashed in August and September 1859, leading to severe geomagnetic storms. NOAA forecasts ...