Solar activity report
Below you'll find a daily report brought to you by the NOAA about the solar activity and auroral activity during the past day and the prediction for the coming days. This page is daily updated around midnight.
Report of Solar-Geophysical Activity 2026 Mar 18 2200 UTCPrepared by the NOAA © SWPC and processed by SpaceWeatherLive.com
Joint USAF/NOAA Report of Solar and Geophysical Activity
SDF Number 77 Issued at 2200Z on 18 Mar 2026IA. Analysis of Solar Active Regions and Activity from 17-2100Z to 18-2100Z Solar activity has been at moderate levels for the past 24
hours. There are currently 5 numbered sunspot regions on the disk.
IB. Solar Activity Forecast
Solar activity is expected to be low with
a chance for M-class flares and a slight chance for an X-class flare on
days one, two, and three (19 Mar, 20 Mar, 21 Mar).
IIA. Geophysical Activity Summary 17-2100Z to 18-2100Z
The geomagnetic
field has been at quiet levels for the past 24 hours. Solar wind speed
reached a peak of 466 km/s at 17/2106Z. Total IMF reached 5 nT at
17/2320Z. The maximum southward component of Bz reached -4 nT at
18/0901Z. Electrons greater than 2 MeV at geosynchronous orbit reached
a peak level of 2949 pfu.
IIB. Geophysical Activity Forecast
The geomagnetic field is expected
to be at quiet to major storm levels on day one (19 Mar), unsettled to
major storm levels on day two (20 Mar) and active to major storm levels
on day three (21 Mar). Protons have a slight chance of crossing
threshold on days one, two, and three (19 Mar, 20 Mar, 21 Mar).
III. Event Probabilities 19 Mar to 21 Mar
| Class M | 35% | 35% | 35% |
| Class X | 10% | 10% | 10% |
| Proton | 10% | 10% | 10% |
| PCAF | green | ||
IV. Penticton 10.7 cm Flux
Observed 18 Mar 113 Predicted 19 Mar-21 Mar 115/115/110 90 Day Mean 18 Mar 142
V. Geomagnetic A Indices
Observed Afr/Ap 17 Mar 004/004 Estimated Afr/Ap 18 Mar 006/007 Predicted Afr/Ap 19 Mar-21 Mar 018/028-028/044-032/050
VI. Geomagnetic Activity Probabilities 19 Mar to 21 Mar
| A. Middle Latitudes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Active | 25% | 25% | 25% |
| Minor storm | 30% | 35% | 35% |
| Major-severe storm | 25% | 30% | 35% |
| B. High Latitudes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Active | 05% | 05% | 05% |
| Minor storm | 20% | 15% | 15% |
| Major-severe storm | 75% | 75% | 85% |
Latest news
Tuesday, 17 March 2026
M2.7 solar flare, CME arrival possible
Sunday, 1 February 2026
Complex sunspot region 4366
Monday, 19 January 2026
CME impact! S4 solar radiation storm
Latest forum messages
CMes from ar 4392 (19-21st of march) 11CH 31 HSS 25Filaments and prominences 516AR4392 (including CMEs) 115Growth of Cycle 25 987
More topicsSupport SpaceWeatherLive.com!
A lot of people come to SpaceWeatherLive to follow the Solar activity or if there is a chance to see the aurora, but with more traffic comes higher costs to keep the servers online. If you like SpaceWeatherLive and want to support the project you can choose a subscription for an ad-free site or consider a donation. With your help we can keep SpaceWeatherLive online!
Space weather facts
| Last X-flare | 2026/02/04 | X4.21 |
| Last M-flare | 2026/03/18 | M2.7 |
| Last geomagnetic storm | 2026/03/14 | Kp6 (G2) |
| Spotless days | |
|---|---|
| Last 365 days | 3 days |
| 2026 | 3 days (4%) |
| Last spotless day | 2026/02/24 |
| Monthly mean Sunspot Number | |
|---|---|
| February 2026 | 78.2 -34.3 |
| March 2026 | 82.4 +4.2 |
| Last 30 days | 62.7 -52.5 |