APTOPIX Northern Lights Iowa

Wade Kitner looks at the northern lights as he fishes in Ventura, Iowa, on Tuesday, June 23, 2015. Federal forecasters said the Northern Lights may be able to be seen Tuesday night as far south as Iowa or Pennsylvania because of a severe solar storm that hit the Earth on Monday and pushes auroras to places where more people can possibly see them.

(Arian Schuessler, The Globe Gazette via AP)

WASHINGTON -- A severe solar storm slammed Earth on Monday afternoon, increasing the chances of fluctuations in the power grid and GPS. It also pushes shimmering polar auroras to places where more people can possibly see them.

WEATHER

Federal forecasters said the Northern Lights may be able to be seen Tuesday night as far south as Iowa or Pennsylvania.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said a potent blast of magnetic plasma shot out of the sun on Sunday, traveling faster than usual, hitting Earth with the biggest solar storm since March, maybe since September 2005.

NOAA space weather physicist Doug Biesecker said there are no reports of damage, but the electrical grid and GPS probably had current fluctuations that they could handle.

He said the storm could last a day or longer.