Solar flare disrupts china shortwave radio

BEIJING: The largest solar flare in more than four years has caused disruptions to shortwave radio communications in China, state media has reported.

The solar flare, a huge explosion on the sun's surface caused by magnetic activity, affected transmissions in southern China on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency has said, quoting the China Meteorological Administration.

The US space administration NASA said Monday's solar flare was the largest in four years, and the event sparked predictions of heightened northern hemisphere aurora activity.

Solar flares are the most powerful explosions in the solar system and the radiation they emit can trigger radio blackouts and other phenomena on Earth, NASA said.