Overview
- An X1.95 solar flare on 18 January drove a geomagnetic storm that reached roughly G4.7, with the initial impulsive phase now past and forecasters noting a chance of renewed strengthening.
- Researchers reported unusually intense auroras extending to low latitudes and visible from the International Space Station, as solar wind and magnetic field parameters remain elevated.
- Experts say the event can delay and distort GPS and stress power and communications infrastructure, though mobile operators and analysts do not expect widespread service failures.
- Hydrometcenter chief Roman Vilfand rejected reports of −36°C in the Central Federal District and now projects a sharp Moscow cooldown to about −25°C this weekend with sub‑20°C frosts into mid‑next week.
- Regional alerts warn of −36…−42°C nights in Yamal and the Urals and a Perm storm warning down to −40…−42°C, while officials debunked an AI‑generated Kamchatka snow‑drift video and confirmed Obninsk’s scalding case involved one hospital admission and a subsequent death under investigation.