TOKYO: A Japanese government panel Tuesday proposed the establishment of private-sector certification for the profession “space weather forecaster” to monitor and predict the effects of solar flares on communications and electronics.

In a draft report, the internal affairs ministry panel of experts warned that a once-in-a-century massive flare may cause enormous damage through electromagnetic waves.

Specifically, mobile phones may become intermittently unusable during the daytime, and expected disruptions to the Global Positioning System may trigger accidents of automated drones, the panel said.

Noting that such risks are not sufficiently understood in the business world, the panel called for a system in which space weather forecasters with expert knowledge can help improve preparedness for such situations.

The report also urged the government to set up an organization specializing in space weather forecasting in a state-linked research institution.

JIJI Press