Earth's weakening 'magnetic shield' could see life WIPED OUT as skin cancer levels soar

Our planet's magnetosphere, which prevents solar winds and radiation from reaching Earth, is currently DISAPPEARING, affecting the WEST first according to researchers.

While we are in the grip of a surge in solar storms - when radiation blast from the sun across near space - scientists have discovered our magnetic field and only defence against them is thinning.

The news comes as a level G4 solar blast from the Sun yesterday morning threatened to interfere with satellite and GPS communications systems, as we reported.

This natural shield reaches thousands of miles into space and also has an affect on weather patterns and global communication systems.

But yesterday's blast and more that are prediced are not expected to reach us due to our planet's magnetic field.

A European Space Agency mission, now at the end of the first of its four-year programme, has concluded the Earth's magnetosphere is losing strength.

A spokesman for the agency said: "Measurements made over the past six months confirm the general trend of the field’s weakening, with the most dramatic declines over the Western Hemisphere.

"This will provide new insight into many natural processes, from those occurring deep inside our planet to space weather triggered by solar activity. In turn, this information will yield a better understanding of why the magnetic field is weakening."

Researchers have warned if it weakens further or were completely eroded away, radiation levels reaching our planet's surface would double - leading to a huge spike in deaths from skin cancer.