Geomagnetic storm & Kp index

The Kp index is a planetary scale from 0 to 9 that measures how disturbed Earth’s magnetic field is over each three-hour period. Values of 5 and above correspond to geomagnetic storms, classified G1 (minor) through G5 (extreme). The number on the gauge is the current estimated Kp from NOAA, refreshed every minute.

The headline reads “geomagnetic storm in progress” whenever the current Kp reaches 5 (storm level G1) or NOAA reports an active G-scale storm; otherwise it says the field is quiet, unsettled or active. When a storm is running the page also shows when it began, and when it is not, when the next one is forecast.

They are NOAA’s three space-weather scales, each running 0 to 5. G is the geomagnetic storm — the one that drives auroras. R is a radio blackout caused by a solar flare, which affects HF radio and navigation. S is a solar radiation storm, which matters to satellites and to crews on polar flights. All three are shown because a quiet G does not mean a quiet Sun.

Open the map, pick your hemisphere and press “Near me”. The tool reads the NOAA OVATION aurora model for your location and tells you whether the aurora is unlikely, possible or likely, with the model’s own percentage. The ladder underneath lists which latitudes see it at the current Kp. You still need a clear, dark sky — the model describes the aurora, not the weather.

Yes. The aurora oval is a pair of rings, and the “South” button frames the southern one — Tasmania, New Zealand, Patagonia and the Antarctic coast. Pressing “Near me” from a southern latitude switches automatically.

Everything comes from the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center — the Kp index and forecast, the G, R and S storm scales, the propagated solar-wind measurements, the GOES X-ray flux and flare list, the F10.7 radio flux, the daily sunspot regions, the issued alerts and the OVATION aurora model. It is official, public-domain data, updated continuously.

Yes. The OVATION model is computed from satellite solar-wind data, not from a network of ground stations, so it covers the whole globe evenly — the Russian Arctic, Scandinavia, Canada and Alaska all render at the same fidelity.

No. This tool displays geophysical measurements from NOAA. It is not medical advice and not an aviation or emergency service — it is meant for curiosity, aurora-watching and learning about space weather.