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
There is the potential for weak auroral enhancements overnight on Saturday 26th due to the onset of faster solar winds. Aurora visibility is most likely to be limited to the highest latitudes, but viewings could briefly occur as far south as northern Scotland or similar geomagnetic latitudes.
Southern Hemisphere
There is the potential for weak auroral enhancements overnight on Saturday 26th due to the onset of faster solar winds. Aurora visibility is most likely to be limited to the Antarctic continent, but limited viewings could briefly occur as far north as New Zealand's South Island, or similar geomagnetic latitudes.
Issued at: 14:46 (GMT) on Sat 26 Sep 2026
Forecast overview
Space Weather Forecast Headline: Chance of G1 Minor Storms, either later day 1 or early day 2 (26-27 Sep), from the 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 seven regions on the disc, however these are all small and simple, and largely stable or in decay. This includes the largest region, which is a bipolar region in the northwest.
No Earth-directed CMEs were observed in available imagery.
Solar Wind / Geomagnetic Activity: A weak, and easing connection to the fast wind from a coronal hole was observed. Solar wind speeds, were mainly Slightly Elevated at around 450-500km/s but briefly peaking Elevated, near 560km/s at 25/1809UTC. Interplanetary Magnetic Field varied between Weak and Moderate values with the north-south component mainly Weak and variable in direction, but favouring a negative (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 to Very Low.
Solar Wind / Geomagnetic Activity: There are no Earth-directed CMEs. Earth is expected to see the transition into the fast winds from a coronal hole later day 1 or into day 2 (26-27 Sep), with Slightly Elevated solar winds likely becoming Elevated. These winds then easing later day 2 through to day 4 (27-29 Sep). Geomagnetic activity is expected to be Quiet to Unsettled at first, but soon increasing to be Unsettled to Active, with a chance of G1 Minor Storms on day 1 (26 Sep). This conditions perhaps continuing into day 2 (27 Sep), before declining to be mostly Quiet thereafter.
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: 12:05 (GMT) on Sat 26 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: