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We are very aware of the importance of the ozone layer, without which life on the Earth would not have evolved in the way it has. Solar storms carry energetic protons into the Earth’s upper atmosphere, where they boost production of nitrogen oxides which are known as ozone killers and which ultimately increase ultraviolet (UV) radiations. In the present study, we estimate the effects of solar energetic protons during super storms (Dst index < –300 nT over the total ozone column for the last 32 yr. We select a total of seven super storm events that occurred during solar cycles 22–24 (for the last 32 yr) having Dst index < –300 nT. To that end, we apply superposed epoch analysis (SEA) to verify the impact of storm events on the quantitative variation of total ozone column and on UV radiations during super storm events. After completing the empirical analysis, we conclude that the ozone column gets depleted significantly (22±6.8%) as proton density increases during super storm events and this decrement in the ozone level is further responsible for a substantial increase (26±11.2%) in peak UV radiation intensities.

In the last few decades, solar activity has been diminishing, and so space weather studies need to be revisited with more attention. The physical processes involved in dealing with various space weather parameters have presented a challenge to the scientific community, with a threat of having a serious impact on modern society and humankind. In the present paper, we have reviewed various aspects of space weather and its present understanding. The Sun and the Earth are the two major elements of space weather, so the solar and the terrestrial perspectives are discussed in detail. A variety of space weather effects and their societal as well as anthropogenic aspects are discussed. The impact of space weather on the terrestrial climate is discussed briefly. A few tools (models) to explain the dynamical space environment and its effects, incorporating real-time data for forecasting space weather, are also summarized. The physical relation of the Earth’s changing climate with various long-term changes in the space environment have provided clues to the short-term/long-term changes. A summary and some unanswered questions are presented in the final section.