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
There are currently no active notifications.
Aurora forecasts
Northern Hemisphere
No significant enhancements to the auroral oval are expected during the forecast period.
Southern Hemisphere
No significant enhancements to the auroral oval are expected during the forecast period.
Issued at: 16:29 (GMT) on Wed 2 Sep 2026
Forecast overview
Space Weather Forecast Headline: Chance of Moderate (R1-R2) class flares.
Analysis of Space Weather Activity over past 24 hours
Solar Activity: Moderate, with a long-duration Moderate class flare which peaked at 02/1920 UTC from the new region close to the northeast limb.
There are three sunspots on the visible disc. All are present in the northeast and appear as magnetically simple regions. A separate region, close to the northeast limb has resulted in occasional flare activity. This is a returning region that was magnetically complex in mid-August, when it was last on the facing-disc. It is expected to imminently come into view in solar imagery.
No Earth-directed Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) were observed during the period.
Solar Wind / Geomagnetic Activity: Solar winds were indicative of predominantly slow wind conditions. Solar wind speed remained at mostly background levels, between around 330-420km/s. Interplanetary Magnetic Field was generally Weak, but with a Moderate peak in the early hours of 03 Sep (UTC). The important north-south component was with neither direction dominant. Geomagnetic activity was Quiet (Kp 0-2).
Energetic Particles / Solar Radiation: The count rate of energetic particles (high energy protons) at geostationary orbit was at background. No Solar Radiation Storms were observed.
Four-Day Space Weather Forecast Summary
Solar Activity: Activity is likely to continue to be Low to Moderate with a chance of Moderate-class flares, most likely from the new region close to the northeast limb.
Solar Wind / Geomagnetic Activity: A very weak CME from 02 Sep may give a low-confidence, possible impact on Day 4 (06 Sep), but with only minor effects expected. Coronal hole fast winds may also become geoeffective around Day 4, but this also low confidence. Otherwise background solar winds are expected.
Geomagnetic activity is expected to be mostly Quiet (Kp0-2), but may increase to Unsettled to Active (Kp3-4) on Day 4 (06 Sep) if fast winds from a small coronal hole, or a glancing impact from the slow CME are observed. This would also give a slight chance of isolated Minor storm/G1 (Kp5) intervals.
Energetic Particles / Solar Radiation: The number of energetic particles (high energy proton flux) is forecast to remain at background, with no solar radiation storms expected.
Issued at: 12:29 (GMT) on Thu 3 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.
Issued at: