Overview
- NOAA reports a G3 geomagnetic storm in progress early Thursday and maintains a G3 watch through Thursday night into Friday, with Kp potentially peaking near 7.
- Auroras may be visible across parts of up to 24 U.S. states from the Pacific Northwest to the Northeast and Upper Midwest, with view lines reaching as far south as Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois and Oregon.
- AuroraWatch UK has issued a red alert, and the Met Office expects visibility across Scotland with chances for Northern Ireland and northern England plus a lower‑confidence chance for Wales and central England on Friday.
- The event follows recent X‑ and M‑class solar flares from active region AR4274 that launched multiple CMEs, with final intensity dependent on how those ejections interact with Earth’s magnetic field.
- NOAA warns of manageable risks including controllable power‑grid fluctuations, intermittent GPS degradation and slight satellite impacts, and advises real‑time monitoring along with dark‑sky viewing between roughly 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.