Solar storms join floods, terrorism as risks to UK

London: Britain has added volcanoes and solar
storms to floods, flu and terrorism on a list of threats to
national security.

The 2012 edition of the government`s National Risk
Register for Civil Emergencies says the highest-priority risks
to Britain are pandemic influenza, coastal flooding, terrorist
attacks and volcanic eruptions in countries like Iceland.

And it adds "severe space weather" as a newly assessed
risk that could disrupt communications systems, electronic
circuits and power grids.

Solar storms eruptions of magnetic energy and charged
particles are part of the sun`s normal 11-year cycle, which is
expected to reach a peak next year.

Last week, the strongest solar storm since 2004 passed
without major disruptions.

PTI