摘要：In this work, we review the first space weather event that affected significantly a number of communication networks in the Iberian Peninsula (Southwest of Europe). The event took place on 31 October 1903, during the ascending phase of solar cycle 14 (the lowest since the Dalton Minimum). We describe the widespread problems that occurred in the telegraph communication network in two midlatitude countries (Portugal and Spain), that was practically interrupted from 09 h30 to 21 h00 UT. Different impacts on the telegraphic communication are described and shown to be dependent on the large-scale orientation of the wires. In order to put these results into a wider context we provide measurements of the concurrent geomagnetic field that are available from the observatories of Coimbra (Portugal) and San Fernando (Spain). The measurements confirm the simultaneous occurrence of large geomagnetic disturbances. In particular, the magnetograms recorded in Coimbra show a clear and large amplitude storm sudden commencement around 05 h30. The main phase, with a H (horizontal component of geomagnetic field) maximum range of ~500 nT, started approximately 1 h later and lasted for almost 10 h, suggesting that the interplanetary magnetic field was strongly southward for long time.
