On Tuesday, January 20, meteorologists advise preparing for a magnetic storm that may intensify to G3 class – a strong geomagnetic storm, writes Focus.
In the last 24 hours, solar activity has been high, primarily due to a strong flare on the Sun that occurred on January 18. The flare took place in a complex sunspot region located in the southeast of the star.
"Images from the coronagraph showed a coronal mass ejection (CME) in the halo. Preliminary estimates suggest the CME will arrive on day two (January 20). However, additional coronagraph images are expected for a more detailed analysis," said experts from the Met Office meteorological bureau.
Currently, there are nine sunspot regions on the side of the Sun facing Earth. The region in the southeast of the star is the largest and has a moderately complex magnetic structure. Another region in the southwest is the second largest, although it shows signs of weakening. In the south, near the center of the disk, a new small region has formed, and another new region is appearing near the northeastern edge. All remaining spots are currently smaller or have simpler shapes.
Video of the Day Play Video Forecast of Magnetic Storms for Four Days Experts expect solar activity over the next four days to range from low to moderate, with a likelihood of further M-class flares (medium among large ones). There is also a slight chance of an isolated X-class flare (the most powerful). These flares could occur in the two largest and most complex sunspot regions.
The coronal mass ejection that occurred on January 18 is likely to reach Earth on January 20. A magnetic storm of moderate or weak intensity (G1-G2) is expected on that day.
However, experts do not rule out the possibility that this magnetic storm could intensify to G4 class (strong). The effects of the CME will persist into January 21, after which it will begin to gradually weaken.
