In light of this event, experts are questioning whether the G5 level, which has only been observed once in the last two decades—in May 2024—will be reached. "Currently, record values of solar wind indicators are being observed," the scientists added.
According to information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the USA, January 20 is expected to be a critical day with adverse weather conditions caused by a strong surge of solar radiation and a magnetic storm.
On January 18, a powerful X19.5 class flare occurred on the Sun, after which a plasma cloud was expected to reach Earth on Tuesday night, leading to magnetic storms and auroras. Specialists from the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences noted that "such events are extremely difficult to predict," and anticipated that the strongest magnetic disturbances at the G4 level would occur on Tuesday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM Moscow time, with the probability of G5 level magnetic storms estimated at just 10%.
On the evening of January 19, the laboratory reported the onset of an S4 level radiation storm, marking the first occurrence in two solar cycles (approximately 22 years). The flow of solar protons reached a record of 37,000, surpassing the figures from the powerful flare of 2003. The S4 level is considered very high, while a stronger S5 class has not been recorded in the entire history of observations. That same evening, the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences also reported the arrival of a plasma cloud on Earth, caused by a flare of class X on the Sun.
