With £9.3billion being spent on the Olympics, the organisers could be forgiven for thinking they had prepared for every eventuality.
But London could suffer a space storm during the games – causing power cuts, damaging communication satellites and forcing planes to divert.
London Olympics organisers admitted today they were ‘monitoring the situation carefully’ after the Met Office warned the next solar storm may occur during the games next year.
Weather experts told the Commons science and technology committee: ‘Extreme space weather events typically occur at the solar maximum, which itself follows a roughly 11-year cycle.
‘The next solar maximum is expected around 2012-13 — potentially coinciding with the London Olympic Games.’
It is only the most extreme solar storms that cause chaos, and Olympic organisers do not believe there is a ‘significant risk’ of major disruption.
Be the first to comment on "Freak space storm triggered by solar changes could scupper London Olympics"