Don’t be surprised if there’s a strong solar flare today. The sun has already produced three intense X-flares this weekend and shows no sign of slowing down. So far the effects have been limited to shortwave radio blackouts, but CMEs and geomagnetic storms could be in the offing as the underlying sunspot turns toward Earth

2025 is off to a good start. On Jan. 1st, auroras spilled across the Arctic Circle, spreading as far south as Mexico, Colorado and Arizona during an intense geomagnetic storm. For a while, storm levels reached category G4, which is severe. The storm is subsiding now, but sky watchers should remain alert for auroras as geomagnetic activity flickers between category G1 (Minor) and G3 (Strong) for the next 12 to 24 hours.

Two CMEs are heading for Earth, due to arrive on Dec. 31-Jan. 1. The one-two punch to Earth’s magnetic field could spark a strong G3-class geomagnetic storm with mid-latitude auroras in the USA and Europe