Earth's looming 'magnetic poles flip' may happen sooner than expected

Scientists have recently warned that the Earth's magnetic field could switch, causing what is known as north and south to turn upside down and it may happen sooner than previously expected.

Geophysicists said that the planet's magnetic poles have flipped before, with the last time being 780,000 years ago, the Daily Express reported.

The earth's magnetic field has been weakening ten times faster than previously believed, decreasing in strength by about five per cent a decade rather than five per cent a century.

This weakening field indicates an impending flip in poles, with scientists estimating that this process could begin in less than 2,000 years.

Scientists have warned this could affect power grids and communication devices across the world. Experts are even said to have alerted governments to a possible world blackout as a result.

Gary Glatzmaier, a geophysicist at the University of California, said that similar to a hurricane, nobody can predict exactly when or where a reversal would start, even though they understand the basic physics.

On average, the Earth's flip takes 5,000 years and can happen as quickly as 1,000 years or as slowly as 20,000 years.