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Witness History: What the 1989 solar storm did to Quebec

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05/01/2024 GMT

What the 1989 solar storm did to Quebec

BBC World Service - Witness History, What the 1989 solar storm did to Quebec

In 1989, a huge solar flare ground life to a halt in Quebec

In 1989, a powerful solar flare hit the Earth's magnetic field and caused a nine-hour electricity blackout in Quebec.

On 13 March 1989, the Canadian province of Quebec suffered a nine-hour electricity blackout. 

Much of the state's infrastructure was damaged, but the power companies couldn't find any obvious cause. 

Physicist Aja Hruska was one of the only people in the country that knew the answer to Quebec's problem. A solar flare ejected by the sun had hit the earth's magnetic field, creating electrical havoc.

And the damage could have been avoided if her warnings had been properly acknowledged. 

Aja shares her memories of that day with Eva Runciman.

(Photo: A solar flare erupts from the sun. Credit: Photo 12/Universal Images Group/Getty Images)

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