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

The auroral oval is expected to remain quiet through the period with low geomagnetic activity.

Southern Hemisphere

The auroral oval is expected to remain quiet through the period with low geomagnetic activity.

Issued at: 01:50 (GMT) on Tue 4 Aug 2026

Forecast overview

Space Weather Forecast Headline:   Chance of isolated Moderate-class flares.

Analysis of Space Weather Activity over past 24 hours

Solar Activity: Solar activity has been Low in the last 24 hours, with no significant flares observed.

There are currently six regions on the visible disc. One region in the northwest contains a weak magnetically complex signature, the others are all simple and stable.

No Earth-directed Coronal Mass Ejections were observed in the available imagery.

Solar Wind / Geomagnetic Activity:  Solar wind speeds were mostly background between 350km/s and 400km/s. Density at the start of the period was Above Average, peaking at 26ppcc at 03/0642 UTC. It then gradually reduced to become Below Average from 03/1900UTC.  Interplanetary Magnetic Field, Bt, has generally been Moderate, ending the period around 11nT.  The north-south component, Bz, has generally been negative (southward), with a period of positive (northward) between around 03/1200-1530UTC. Overall ranging from+8/-10nT. Geomagnetic activity was in the range Quiet to Active (Kp 2-4).

Energetic Particles / Solar Radiation:

GOES18 high energy (>10MeV) proton flux was at background levels.

Four-Day Space Weather Forecast Summary

Solar Activity: Low solar activity is expected to continue with a chance of isolated Moderate-class flares.

Solar Wind / Geomagnetic Activity:  In the absence of any geoeffective coronal holes or Earth directed CMEs solar wind speeds are expected to remain at background. Geomagnetic activity will be Quiet to Unsettled with a chance of Active intervals on Day 1 (4 Aug). 

Energetic Particles / Solar Radiation: GOES18 >10MeV proton flux is expected to continue at Background with no further enhancement currently forecast..

Issued at: 00:11 (GMT) on Tue 4 Aug 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.

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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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