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
Earth is currently under the influence of a weak solar wind enhancement, with a further solar wind enhancement expected to arrive through 26th Sept. Despite these solar wind enhancements no significant geomagnetic activity is expected, with just a chance of visible aurora across the north of Scotland, where skies are clear, during the nights of 25th and 26th Sept.
Southern Hemisphere
Earth is currently under the influence of a weak solar wind enhancement, with a further solar wind enhancement expected to arrive through 26th Sept UTC day. Despite these solar wind enhancements no significant geomagnetic activity is expected, with just a chance of visible aurora across the far south of New Zealand and similar latitudes, where skies are clear, during the southern hemisphere night of 26th Sept.
Issued at: 01:24 (GMT) on Fri 25 Sep 2026
Forecast overview
Space Weather Forecast Headline: Chance of G1 Minor Storms, most likely day 2 (26 Sep), from onset of fast solar winds.
Analysis of Space Weather Activity over past 24 hours
Solar Activity: Low with only isolated very small Common class flares observed. There are eight sunspot regions on the Earth-facing disc, however these are generally small and either stable or in decay. The main exception is the largest of the regions in the northwest, which has seen some small growth within its intermediated spots, but remains magnetically simple.
No Earth-directed Coronal Mass Ejections were observed in available imagery.
Solar Wind / Geomagnetic Activity: A weak connection to the fast wind from a coronal hole was observed, with this feature now near the southwest solar limb. Solar wind speeds rose from Background to be Slightly Elevated, from around 370km/s to near 450km/s. Interplanetary Magnetic Field varied between Weak and Moderate with the north-south component also variable, but mainly Weak and favouring a southward orientation. Geomagnetic Activity was Quiet to Active (Kp 2-4).
Energetic Particles / Solar Radiation: No Solar Radiation Storms were observed with the count rate of energetic particles (high energy protons) persisting at Background.
Four-Day Space Weather Forecast Summary
Solar Activity: Solar activity is expected to be Low, perhaps Very Low, with only a slight chance of rising to Moderate with isolated M-class flares.
Solar Wind / Geomagnetic Activity: There are no Earth-directed CMEs. Ongoing weak fast winds at first, are expected to see a further enhancement on day 2 (26 Sep), with Slightly Elevated solar winds becoming Elevated. These winds then easing day 3-4 (27-28 Sep). Geomagnetic activity is expected to be mainly Quiet to Unsettled with a chance of Active intervals at first, before a spell of Unsettled to Active, with a chance of G1 Minor Storms follows day 2, perhaps into day 3 (26-27 Sep) before declining to be mostly Quiet later day 3 and day 4 (27-28 Sep).
Energetic Particles / Solar Radiation: No Solar Radiation Storms are expected with the count rate of energetic particles (high energy protons) persisting at Background.
Issued at: 12:27 (GMT) on Fri 25 Sep 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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