MOSCOW, January 19. /TASS/. A powerful geomagnetic storm began on Earth when the blast of solar particles released during the first solar flare of the highest X class in 2026 reached the atmosphere, the Institute of Applied Geophysics has told TASS.
At present, the storm is classified as tier two (G2) on a five-tier scale, where G5 is the most powerful.
The sun exploded with a powerful X1.9 flare on the evening of January 18, launching a huge blob of solar material, known as a coronal mass ejection (CME), towards the Earth. It was projected to trigger strong geomagnetic storms that could reach the G4 level.