Space Weather
Space weather describes changing environmental conditions in near-Earth space. Magnetic fields, radiation, particles and matter, which have been ejected from the Sun, can interact with the Earth’s upper atmosphere and surrounding magnetic field to produce a variety of effects.
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Aurora forecasts
Northern Hemisphere
There is a chance of some limited auroral enhancements during the remainder of the weekend (UTC), with faster solar winds impacting Earth. This chance reducing into the working week. Any aurora is likely to be limited to higher latitudes, with a chance of visibility from the north of Scotland and similar magnetic latitudes.
Southern Hemisphere
There is a chance of some limited auroral enhancements during the remainder of the weekend (UTC), with faster solar winds impacting Earth. This chance reducing into the working week Any aurora is likely to be limited to higher latitudes, with a chance of visibility from the far south of New Zealand and similar magnetic latitudes.
Issued at: 13:27 (GMT) on Sun 8 Nov 2026
Forecast overview
Space Weather Forecast Headline: Moderate solar flares likely. Chance of Minor Geomagnetic Storms during peak fast solar winds.
Analysis of Space Weather Activity over past 24 hours
Solar Activity: Moderate with peak flare, a low level Moderate-class flare at 07/1842UTC from the large region in the south near the central meridian. There are currently five sunspot regions on the visible disc. The most significant and magnetically complex region on the disc remains the aforementioned spot. This spot has significant magnetic complexity and mixed polarity maintained within its central portion, with a north-south magnetic shear evident. It has also been reclassified as a shorter region due to the loss of peripheral spots ahead of the main complex portion. All remaining regions are small and magnetically simple.
No Earth directed Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) were observed in available imagery.
Solar Wind / Geomagnetic Activity: Solar winds reflected the continued arrival of fast winds with solar wind speed rising from Elevated to Strong. The Interplanetary Magnetic Field started at mostly Moderate levels, then fell to Weak after 08/0405 UTC. The north-south component varied Moderately, then followed a similar weakening trend. Resultant Geomagnetic activity was Unsettled to Active (Kp3-4), with two G1/Minor Storm (Kp5) intervals recorded 07/1800-2100 UTC and 08/0000-0300 UTC.
Energetic Particles / Solar Radiation: No solar radiation storms were observed.
Four-Day Space Weather Forecast Summary
Solar Activity: Overall Moderate solar activity is expected, with a likelihood of further moderate solar flares from sunspot region AR4566, and a slight chance of isolated strong solar flares.
Solar Wind / Geomagnetic Activity: With no Earth directed CMEs currently expected the geomagnetic forecast is dominated by fast solar winds associated with a large coronal hole. Solar winds are Strong. Overall solar winds are expected to remain Strong through Day 1 and into Day 2 (08-07 Nov). A slow decline is expected through Days 3-4 (10-11 Nov) but speeds remaining generally Elevated.
Geomagnetic conditions are expected to remain generally Unsettled to Active (Kp3-4), with a reducing Chance of further G1/Minor Storm (Kp5) intervals. Activity then likely declining to become more generally Quite-Unsettled (Kp1-3) Days 3 and 4 (10-11 Nov) with a Chance of Active (Kp4) intervals and a reducing Slight Chance of G1/Minor storming (Kp5).
Energetic Particles / Solar Radiation: Solar radiation is likely to remain at background levels, but there is a slight chance of exceeding the S1/Minor Radiation Storm threshold following any significant solar flares.
Issued at: 13:22 (GMT) on Sun 8 Nov 2026
Solar imagery
SDO AIA-193
This channel highlights the outer atmosphere of the Sun - called the corona - as well as hot flare plasma. Hot active regions, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections will appear bright here. The dark areas - called coronal holes - are places where very little radiation is emitted, yet are the main source of solar wind particles.
Issued at:
SDO AIA-304
This channel is especially good at showing areas where cooler dense plumes of plasma (filaments and prominences) are located above the visible surface of the Sun. Many of these features either can't be seen or appear as dark lines in the other channels. The bright areas show places where the plasma has a high density.
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