GOES satellites measured a M2.5-class solar flare peaking at 2026-07-20T14:36:00Z (X-ray flux 2.5e-5 W/m2, radio-blackout scale ~R1). Flares cause immediate shortwave radio blackouts on Earth's sunlit side. If this flare launched a CME toward Earth, a geomagnetic storm could follow in 1-3 days – worth watching the Kp index.
What this means for you
Most space weather passes without anyone noticing – but events like this are exactly why we watch the data. If conditions escalate, the first things affected are GPS accuracy, shortwave radio and, in severe cases, power grids. Now is a good moment to make sure your devices are charged and you know where your backup light sources are.
We track this in real time on our Space Weather Command Center – live storm levels, aurora maps and official NOAA alerts, explained in plain English.
Detected automatically from NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center data, July 20, 2026 at 14:45 UTC.
Source: NOAA GOES X-ray Flux
