Hailing from the Sun’s corona – the inner atmosphere – the winds can mingle with Earth’s magnetic field and trigger a number of phenomena.
Among the weaker impacts are colourful aurora effects around the planet’s poles – Aurora Borealis in the north and Aurora Australis in the south.
In some cases, however, stronger winds can trigger a geomagnetic or solar storm.
These space weather events have been known to disrupt satellite operations, affect radio communications and even cause power outages.
In some cases, soalr winds can increase the frictional drag of satellites and degrade their orbits enough for them to plunge towards the planet’s surface.
Nicky Fox, of NASA’s Director of the Heliophysics Science Division, explained: “As the wind flows toward Earth, it carries with it the Sun’s magnetic field.