Question 1

Is there a solar storm right now?

Accepted Answer

No. There is no geomagnetic storm or radio blackout at NOAA storm level — the planetary K-index is 0.33. A storm begins at Kp 5, which is NOAA's G1 threshold; below that the magnetosphere is simply active, not storming.

Question 2

What is the Kp index?

Accepted Answer

The planetary K-index is a 0 to 9 measure of how disturbed Earth's magnetic field is, averaged from magnetometers around the world over three-hour periods. Below 5 there is no storm. Kp 5 is a G1 minor storm, 6 is G2, 7 is G3, 8 is G4 and 9 is G5 extreme — the level that has taken national power grids down.

Question 3

Can a solar storm damage the power grid?

Accepted Answer

Yes, at the strong end. A geomagnetic storm induces currents in long conductors — transmission lines, pipelines, rail signalling — and at G4 and G5 those currents can trip protection systems and damage high-voltage transformers, which take months to replace. In March 1989 a G5 storm collapsed the whole Hydro-Québec grid in about ninety seconds, leaving six million people without power. G1 and G2 storms cause fluctuations that operators handle routinely.

Question 4

Does a solar storm affect flights?

Accepted Answer

Radio blackouts do, most of all on polar routes. At R2 and above, high-frequency radio on the sunlit side of Earth degrades or fails, and HF is what long-haul aircraft use when they are out of satellite and radar coverage. Airlines re-route away from the poles during strong events. Solar radiation storms also raise the radiation dose at cruise altitude near the poles.

Question 5

What solar flare class is the Sun at right now?

Accepted Answer

The GOES satellite is measuring a B7.9 class X-ray flux, peaking at C1.1. Flare classes run A, B, C, M and X, each ten times the one before. Radio blackouts begin at M1, which is NOAA R1; X-class flares are R3 and above.

Question 6

Is a solar storm expected in the next three days?

Accepted Answer

NOAA's three-day forecast says: "G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storms are likely late 19 Oct and early 20 Oct due to the anticipated influences of a positive CH HSS." The greatest expected three-hour Kp over that window is 4.67.

Question 7

Where can I see the aurora during a storm?

Accepted Answer

The stronger the storm, the further from the poles the aurora reaches. At G1 it is visible from places like northern Scotland and the northern United States; at G3 it can reach the latitude of Illinois and central Europe; at G5 it has been seen from the tropics. It also needs darkness and clear sky, so a strong storm in daylight is invisible where you are standing.

Question 8

How often is this page updated?

Accepted Answer

NOAA publishes a new planetary K-index every minute and issues alerts as conditions change. This page reads their feeds directly and refreshes within ten minutes.

NOAA level	Kp	Shown here as	What a geomagnetic storm at this level does
G1 Minor	5	Minor	Weak power-grid fluctuations. Minor satellite effects. Aurora visible at high latitude.
G2 Moderate	6	Moderate	High-latitude power systems may see voltage alarms. HF radio fades at higher latitudes.
G3 Strong	7	Severe	Voltage corrections needed, false alarms on protection devices. Satellite drag increases. Aurora reaches mid-latitudes.
G4 Severe	8	Extreme	Widespread voltage control problems; protective systems may trip key assets off the grid. Surface charging on satellites.
G5 Extreme	9	Extreme	Grid collapse and transformer damage possible. Satellites can be lost for hours. HF radio out over wide areas for a day or more.

Space weather right now: solar storms, flares and radio blackouts

Alerts NOAA currently has in force

NOAA's three-day outlook

What the NOAA scales actually mean

Why this sits on a disaster site