Earth could get just 12 hours' warning of damaging solar storm

UK Cabinet Office report sets out risks of coronal mass ejections from the sun causing power outages, and disruption of GPS and communications

Humanity would only have a 12-hour warning about the arrival of a "coronal mass ejection" that could damage the National Grid, pipelines and railway signals, according to a newly released document from the UK Cabinet Office.

In a report worthy of a Bruce Willis film, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has set out the nature of the risk to the UK from "severe space weather", which it says results from various types of solar activity.