The first magnetic storm of the new year — 2026 — has been recorded on Earth.
According to data from the Solar Astronomy Laboratory, this phenomenon occurred on January 2 at 23:00 Moscow time and, as is customary for magnetic storms, is planetary in scale. The storm was predicted in advance — geomagnetic indices began to rise in response to the influx of plasma ejected into space as a result of the M7.1 solar flare that occurred on December 31, on the eve of the New Year celebrations. Thus, Earth is feeling the effects of solar activity that took place last year.
The first magnetic storm of the new year came just two days after the start of January. In comparison, in 2025, the storm occurred on January 1, reaching a level of G4 (4 out of 5 possible), making it one of the most powerful of the entire year. In contrast, January 2026 is experiencing a less intense phenomenon — the current level is G1 (minimum), with a forecast for a possible increase to G2. Last year, in turn, was extremely active in terms of geomagnetic events, setting records not seen in the past 10-20 years.
