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Data acquired with the Geophysics Laboratory's High Latitude Meteor Scatter Test-Bed between Sondrestrom AB and Thule AB, Greenland during the solar disturbances of March and August, 1989 are presented. These disturbances provided a unique opportunity to observe a number of naturally occurring disturbance effects on meteor scatter links operated in the frequency range (35 to 147 MHz) covered by the test-bed. The disturbances range from signal absorption to system noise variations. The properties of ionospheric absorption in general are discussed and illustrated with computations using electron density profiles from the September 1978 Solar Proton Event. It has been found that accurate measurements of high levels of ionospheric absorption with riometers pose special problems. These problems are identified and discussed. The data acquired during the March and August solar disturbances are then related to the zenith absorption measured at Thule and the influence of absorption, as well as system noise variations are discussed.