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.
Space weather notifications
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Aurora forecasts
Northern Hemisphere
Only minor enhancements to the auroral oval are likely in the coming days, either due to weak Coronal Mass Ejection or weak fast wind influence. Any aurora is likely to be restricted to high latitudes, where sightings will be limited by the short hours of darkness.
Southern Hemisphere
Only minor enhancements to the auroral oval are likely in the coming days, either due to weak Coronal Mass Ejection or weak fast wind influence. Any aurora is likely to be restricted to high latitudes.
Issued at: 12:36 (GMT) on Tue 28 Jul 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, with just Common-class flares in the last 24 hours. There are now six sunspot regions visible on the solar disc. Many of the spots within the central portion of the disk are small and simple. A region near the northeast limb remains difficult to assess, though currently appears to be a large unipolar region, but may have a trailing portion which is not yet visible.
A faint and slow Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) was observed leaving the Sun on 27 July. This has been assessed as mostly passing ahead of Earth, but a weak glancing blow is possible late on 31 July.
Solar Wind / Geomagnetic Activity: Solar winds showed a weak CME arrival at 27/1528 UTC. Wind speeds were mostly slow or slightly elevated, between 350-420 km/s. Interplanetary Magnetic Field was weak to moderate, with the north-south component varying weakly. Geomagnetic activity was Quiet (Kp 0-2).
Energetic Particles / Solar Radiation: The count rate of energetic particles (high energy protons) persisted at background levels with no Solar Radiation storms observed.
Four-Day Space Weather Forecast Summary
Solar Activity: Solar activity is expected to be predominantly Low, with a chance of isolated Moderate class flares.
Solar Wind / Geomagnetic Activity: Two faint weak and slow CMEs, from 26 July and 27 July, may give glancing blows at Earth either late Day 2 or early Day 3 (29-30 Jul) and again late on Day 4 (31 Jul). Both of these features are considered more likely to miss Earth, however. Earth is currently experiencing waning weak CME effects. A southern coronal hole may give an increase in wind speeds to slightly elevated levels (400-500 km/s) on Day 2, likely easing again into Day 4.
Geomagnetic activity is forecast to remain predominantly Quiet to Unsettled. Activity may increase with glancing CME or weak fast wind influence to give a chance of occasional Active intervals and just a slight chance of G1/Minor Storms at times throughout much of this period.
Energetic Particles / Solar Radiation: The count rate of energetic particles (high energy protons) is most likely to remain at background levels.
Issued at: 12:09 (GMT) on Tue 28 Jul 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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