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.

Image courtesy of NASA/SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams

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Aurora forecasts

Northern Hemisphere

Geomagnetic activity is expected to be largely at Background resulting in only limited opportunities for auroral visibility. Any viewing prospects will be further constrained by the short hours of darkness typical of this time of year.

Southern Hemisphere

Geomagnetic activity is expected to remain largely at background, with auroral visibility likely to be limited and largely confined to the Antarctic continent.

Issued at: 01:01 (GMT) on Thu 18 Jun 2026

Forecast overview

Space Weather Forecast Headline: No significant activity.

Analysis of Space Weather Activity over past 24 hours

Solar Activity: Low with only four small Common-class flares observed. There are currently three sunspot regions visible on the Earth-facing solar disc, all of which are relatively small and stable.

No Earth-directed Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) were observed. 

Solar Wind / Geomagnetic Activity: Solar wind parameters showed the weak enhancement from the fast winds of from a coronal hole fading to slow wind conditions. Solar wind speeds eased from a peak of 450-500km/s to just below 400km/s. Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF), Bt, was Weak. The north–south component was also weak and variable in direction. Geomagnetic activity remained Quiet (Kp 1–2).

Energetic Particles / Solar Radiation: The count rate of energetic particles (high energy protons) was at background with no solar radiation storms observed.

Four-Day Space Weather Forecast Summary

Solar Activity: Low activity is forecast, and while the regions on the Earth-facing disc are not expected to give significant activity, there is a chance of activity increasing to Moderate due to regions moving onto the southeast limb.

Solar Wind / Geomagnetic Activity: There are no Earth-directed CMEs. The next enhancement to the solar wind is likely to be from on day 2 (19 Jun), with a brief period of Slightly Elevated solar winds, perhaps peaking Elevated. before declining on days 3 and 4 (20-21 Jun). Geomagnetic activity is expected to be mostly Quiet (Kp 0-2) with a chance of isolated Unsettled intervals. Any fast wind enhancement will likely bring a spell of Unsettled to Active (Kp3-4).

Energetic Particles / Solar Radiation: The count rate of energetic particles (high energy protons) is forecast to persist at Background with no solar radiation storms occurring.

Issued at: 12:15 (GMT) on Thu 18 Jun 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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