Powerful geomagnetic storm hits Earth, scientists warn it could reach record levels
Tengrinews.kz – A powerful geomagnetic storm began on Earth on Monday night into Tuesday. Scientists have warned that it may reach a record level that has been recorded only once in the last 20 years.
This was reported by the Solar Astronomy Laboratory of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences in its Telegram channel.
“It has been officially confirmed: a planetary geomagnetic storm of level G4.33 is occurring on Earth. The main question now is whether the highest level, G5, will be reached in the coming hours. Over the past 20 years this level has been observed only once - in May 2024,” the publication says.
It is noted that the only reliably measurable parameter of the solar wind — the magnetic field strength - is showing values close to historical records.
Later, scientists clarified that the geomagnetic storm had intensified to G4.7.
“If the characteristics of the solar wind do not change, the transition to the highest G5 level will occur within 1–2 hours,” the statement says.
As a reminder, on the evening of 18 January the Solar Astronomy Laboratory of IKI RAS and Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics (ISTP) reported the first X-class solar flare of 2026. The event occurred in the centre of the visible solar disk facing Earth. The flare was classified as X1.95.
Background: Solar flares are divided into five classes according to the power of their X-ray emission: A, B, C, M and X. They can cause geomagnetic storms on Earth, which lead to disruptions in power systems and affect migration routes of birds and animals. Strong storms cause disruptions to shortwave radio communications and navigation systems, as well as voltage failures in industrial power grids.
It was previously noted that the explosion on the Sun was “quite large,” involving the entire central region of the star — “about half a million kilometres.”
Scientists suggested that very strong geomagnetic storms on Earth are expected on 20 January.