NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center recorded a moderate solar flare at 6:19 a.m. EST Wednesday from sunspot AR4274 following two stronger flares on Tuesday that disrupted radio communications across sunlit regions. The Wednesday event produced a partial-halo coronal mass ejection now being analyzed for any Earth-directed component. Although the main CMEs are not aimed directly at Earth, their edges could interact with a fast solar wind and produce geomagnetic storm conditions on Thursday and Friday, potentially intensifying auroras and causing radio interference.
NOAA: Solar Flares Could Disrupt Radio Communications and Trigger Geomagnetic Storms
NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center recorded a moderate solar flare at 6:19 a.m. EST Wednesday from sunspot AR4274 following two stronger flares on Tuesday that disrupted radio communications across sunlit regions. The Wednesday event produced a partial-halo coronal mass ejection now being analyzed for any Earth-directed component. Although the main CMEs are not aimed directly at Earth, their edges could interact with a fast solar wind and produce geomagnetic storm conditions on Thursday and Friday, potentially intensifying auroras and causing radio interference.
01:52, 06.11.2025Science
NOAA Monitoring Solar Activity After Multiple Flares
Nov. 5 (UPI) — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) reported a moderate solar flare at 6:19 a.m. EST Wednesday originating from sunspot region AR4274. That event followed two stronger flares on Tuesday that briefly disrupted radio communications across sunlit regions of the globe.
The Wednesday flare produced a partial-halo coronal mass ejection (CME) that "is currently under analysis to determine any Earth-directed threat and, if so, what level of geomagnetic response we might anticipate," the SWPC said.
On Tuesday, the first and stronger flare occurred at 12:34 p.m. EST from AR4274 and disrupted radio communications across much of sunlit North and South America. A second, weaker flare at 5:02 p.m. EST came from a hidden area on the sun's southeastern hemisphere and caused a radio blackout over sunlit sectors of the North Pacific, extending to New Zealand and parts of eastern Australia.
Each flare expelled large, magnetized clouds of plasma (CMEs). Although the main CME trajectories are not aimed directly at Earth, their outer edges could interact with a fast-moving solar wind expected to produce geomagnetic storm conditions on Thursday and Friday. Such interactions can enhance magnetic activity and increase the likelihood of radio interference and power-grid impacts in extreme cases.
What to expect: The electromagnetic burst from a solar flare travels at the speed of light and affects sunlit regions of Earth almost immediately, potentially causing shortwave radio blackouts. Geomagnetic disturbances from CMEs can also amplify auroras, making them visible farther from the poles.
Officials advise monitoring SWPC updates for any changes to forecasts or warnings, especially for aviation, maritime, and HF radio users who can be vulnerable to sudden radio-signal degradation during solar events.