As a result of a strong solar flare that occurred on Sunday, magnetic storms of levels G3 and G4 are expected on Earth on Tuesday. This was reported on the Telegram channel of the Institute of Space Research (IKI) of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
According to the forecast, the magnetic storms may reach Earth during the day. Level G3 indicates strong storms, while G4 is considered a very strong phenomenon. The message also noted that the lower boundary of the auroras may drop to 50 degrees.
The table from the Solar Astronomy Laboratory presents the classification of storms by levels: G3 is a strong storm, while G4 is already very powerful.
Additionally, it is reported that the solar flare affected a large central area of the star, covering almost half a million kilometers.
The laboratory's website also features a new video demonstrating an X-flare on the Sun. The image shows the horizontal size of the phenomenon at 450 thousand kilometers, which is 35 times the diameter of Earth.
On Sunday, the laboratory recorded the first X-class flare of the year, which occurred in region 4341, located in the center of the visible solar disk. The peak activity of the flare was recorded at 21:09 Moscow time, and it was classified as X1.95, making it the strongest since November of last year.
Sergey Bogachev, head of the laboratory, notes that despite the overall decrease in solar activity, record flares are still possible in 2026. Several significant M-class phenomena have already been recorded since the beginning of the year.
Solar flares are classified by the intensity of X-ray radiation into five categories: A, B, C, M, and X. These events can provoke magnetic storms on Earth, which in turn can cause disruptions in power grid operations, as well as impacts on the migration of birds and animals. Strong magnetic storms can disrupt shortwave communication and navigation systems, as well as cause voltage fluctuations in industrial networks. Additionally, increased solar activity may expand the boundaries for observing auroras. At the same time, scientific data on the effects of magnetic storms on human health remain insufficient.
