Space Weather

A live dashboard of the Sun's activity from NOAA SWPC — today's solar flares, the NOAA radio-blackout, radiation and geomagnetic storm scales, the Kp index and the solar wind. It updates automatically. Free, no sign-up, no API key.

Storm scales right now

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Recent solar flares

The flares GOES has recorded over the last 7 days, newest first — class and peak time.

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This is not a warning system. It shows current conditions and recent activity reported by NOAA SWPC — it cannot warn you before a flare or storm. For official watches and warnings follow NOAA SWPC, and see the live Aurora Forecast.

100% free, no sign-up Live from NOAA SWPC Auto-refreshes every 2 minutes

How It Works

Open it and today's solar activity loads — no account, no key.

1

Read the storm scales

The top band shows the NOAA R, S and G scales — radio blackouts, radiation storms and geomagnetic storms — each from 0 (quiet) to 5 (extreme). Green means all clear.

2

Check the Sun and solar wind

The cards give the current X-ray flare class, the biggest recent flares, the Kp index, and the solar wind speed and magnetic field — the ingredients that drive storms and the aurora.

3

Watch it live

Everything refreshes every couple of minutes straight from NOAA. When the Sun is active, check the Aurora Forecast to see whether the lights might reach you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a solar flare, and what do the C, M and X classes mean?
A solar flare is a sudden burst of radiation from the Sun, caused by magnetic energy being released above sunspots. Flares are classified by their peak X-ray brightness on a letter scale — A, B, C, M and X — where each letter is ten times stronger than the one before, and a number gives the fine detail (so M5 is five times stronger than M1, and X-class flares are the most powerful). A, B and C flares are minor; M-class flares can cause brief radio blackouts; X-class flares are major events that can disrupt radio, satellites and power grids and supercharge the aurora.
What are the NOAA R, S and G scales?
NOAA rates space-weather storms on three scales from 0 to 5. R (Radio Blackouts) measures the effect of solar flares on high-frequency radio; S (Solar Radiation Storms) measures energetic protons that threaten satellites and astronauts; and G (Geomagnetic Storms) measures disturbance of Earth's magnetic field, which drives the aurora and can stress power grids. A 0 on any scale means no storm; higher numbers mean stronger effects. The dashboard shows the current level on each scale straight from NOAA.
How does space weather actually affect me on Earth?
For most people the visible effect is the aurora, which brightens and moves toward the equator during geomagnetic storms. Space weather can also degrade GPS accuracy, disrupt high-frequency and satellite radio (affecting aviation and emergency communications), add drag on low-orbit satellites, and, in extreme storms, induce currents that stress electricity grids. Day to day the effects are small, but strong solar flares and geomagnetic storms are worth knowing about — which is what this dashboard is for.
Where does the space weather data come from?
Every number comes live from NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), the US government's official source for space-weather monitoring and forecasts. Flare and X-ray data come from the GOES satellites, the solar wind from spacecraft at the L1 point between the Earth and Sun, and the Kp index from a global network of magnetometers. LK Forge measures nothing itself — it reads the public SWPC feeds and lays them out on one page, refreshing every couple of minutes.
Is this a warning system?
No — this dashboard shows current conditions and recent activity, not official alerts. It cannot warn you before a flare or storm happens. For official watches, warnings and alerts, follow NOAA SWPC directly and, for aviation or grid operations, the specialized services that serve those sectors.
Is it free and does it need an account?
Yes — the dashboard is completely free, with no account, no sign-up and no API key. It reads NOAA SWPC's public feeds directly in your browser, so it works the moment the page loads on phone or desktop.

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