𝑮7𝑰𝙕𝑼 𝑹𝙍𝑫

Space weather, aurora and radio propagation from a UK perspective. Any alerts or warnings are informational only and are not official. I post about various other subjects as well, but always hope to be informative and interesting. Not a professional space weather forecaster, it's my hobby!

Typos in posts are a probability.

***Follow requests from bots or users with no profile info will be declined.

G7IZU RRD Website: https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/

Also on BSky: @g7izu.bsky.social

G7IZU RRD Website: https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/
Space weather:
Radio propagation:
Flight simulation:

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Last Notes

2026-10-25 08:37:28 UTC

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The number of reported cuts is rising quickly as people wake up to find they don't have power.
#powercuts
#ukgrid
#g7izu
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/500/632/679/280/468/original/ddeef45ded338c68.mp4

2026-10-25 08:24:30 UTC

Terrestrial Weather / UK Grid
More than 100,000 people are now reported to be without power following storms across the UK and Ireland.
Southern England is still feeling the effects of Storm Austen, whilst Ireland, Northern Ireland, northern England and Scotland received the brunt of Storm Boelo.
And these were only the first two storms of the winter!
#stormausten
#stormboelo
#ukgrid
#g7izu
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2026-10-24 17:26:20 UTC

Terrestrial Weather
More than 41,000 customers are now without power in Ireland and UK thanks to yesterday's and today's storms.
Four major faults together in Ireland account for around 6,500 customers with no power.
Nine flood warnings and around 50 flood alerts are in place across England. If you're worried about flooding please visit the official Environment Agency website:
https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/alerts-and-warnings
#stormausten
#stormboelo
#ukgrid
#g7izu
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2026-10-24 16:03:50 UTC

Terrestrial Weather
There are currently over 37,000 unplanned power cuts across Ireland and the UK. Around half of these are in Rep of Ireland thanks to Storm Boelo.
#stormausten
#stormboelo
#ukgrid
#g7izu
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2026-10-24 14:29:05 UTC

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UK & Ireland Grid Monitor
How does your electricity get to you?
The map shows generators, interconnectors and HV lines (400, 275 and 132 kV - the smaller local operator lines are not reported in real time). See flow directions and flow rates, with live updating values.
#energy
#NationalGrid
#UKenergy
#dataviz
#OpenData
#g7izu
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/496/334/549/192/956/original/fa1167c29324fe9c.mp4

2026-10-24 13:41:39 UTC

UK & Ireland Grid Monitor
Rainy day work!
Geek overload: This is a quick clip showing an upgrade to Grid Monitor that I'm working on.
⚡ With Claude, I built a live map of Great Britain’s high-voltage electricity grid, styled after a grid control room.
How it works:
🗺️ The network (400, 275 and 132 kV lines and substations) comes from OpenStreetMap data, drawn to true scale.
🏭 Every power station’s output updates each minute from Elexon’s public data: what each operator says it will generate, or the level the grid operator NESO has instructed. Circles show output; a moving arc shows whether output is rising or falling.
🔌 Interconnectors to Europe and Ireland show their metered flows along their real cable routes.
📐 Line flows aren’t published, so the map calculates them with a power-flow model running in the browser. Line width and moving dashes show size and direction; values flash when they change.
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿➡️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 The Scotland-to-England transfer sits alongside NESO’s forecast limits, so you can see when wind farms are being paid to turned down.
🚨 Operators’ official outage reports flag plant that’s unavailable.
Everything modelled is labelled as modelled. It's a very geeky and useful way to see how wind, nuclear, gas and imports move around the grid in real time.
I won't be releasing this immediately, but wanted you to see what I'm working on. More clips will come in reply to this post.
#energy #NationalGrid #UKenergy #dataviz #OpenData #g7izu
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/496/145/410/506/941/original/e06fb41ed4999e52.mp4

2026-10-24 09:30:47 UTC

Terrestrial Weather
The UK's second named storm "Boelo" is approaching Scotland with a forecast central pressure down to 944mB. Heavy rain and winds will affect all of the UK and Ireland throughout the weekend.
Power is still off for thousands of customers across the south of the UK following Storm Austen.
#ukgrid
#weather
#stormausten
#stormboelo
#g7izu
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2026-10-23 13:57:17 UTC

Terrestrial Weather / UK Grid
Around 50,000 customers are now affected by unplanned power cuts across the UK and Ireland, mostly caused by Storm Austen.
#stormausten
#ukgrid
#powercuts
#g7izu
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/490/568/223/577/749/original/204c9027963e03fe.png

2026-10-23 11:14:38 UTC

Terrestrial Weather / UK Grid
More than 35,000 customers are currently being affected by unplanned power cuts across Ireland and the UK. Including planned cuts brings the total to just under 40,000 customers.
The majority of cuts are in the Republic of Ireland, Wales and south-western England.
Statistical analysis reveals a clear correlation between peak recorded wind gusts and the number of power cuts reported per hour.
#weather
#ukgrid
#stormausten
#powercuts
#g7izu
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2026-10-23 07:44:17 UTC

Terrestrial Weather/UK Grid
There are now around 25,000 customers without power across Ireland and the UK, with around half of these being located in Cornwall and South Wales.
#stormausten
#ukgrid
#powercuts
#g7izu
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2026-10-23 00:06:22 UTC

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UK Grid
You may have picked up on my digs at the UK energy operator in previous posts.
Without aiming any criticism at the operational staff at NESO (National Energy System Operator) who do a wonderful job, this Telegraph report is quite worrying. What's worse is that it's that it's a government run operation. How did it get to this state?
**Who Runs NESO
• Ownership: Owned by the UK government, with 100% of the shares held by the Secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).
• Board & Leadership: Led by Board Chair Dr Paul Golby and Chief Executive Officer Fintan Slye.
• Regulation: Overseen and regulated by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem), which monitors its grid operations, market rules, and planning.
• Independence: It operates with internal management and operational independence from government ministers and industry players.
#neso
#ukgrid
#g7izu
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/10/21/grid-staff-used-microsoft-word-to-monitor-blackout-risk/

2026-10-22 21:39:20 UTC

UK & Ireland Energy Grid
The reliance on gas generators is rapidly being shed as wind input increases in the face of Storm Austen.
Monitor this for yourself:
https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/uk-grid-monitor/
#stormAusten
#weather
#g7izu
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/486/702/074/988/054/original/ced90b161d1570e0.mp4

2026-10-22 18:42:44 UTC

Terrestrial Weather
Storm Austen is on my doorstep!
Pressure is dropping now at ~1.5mB/hr (now 999mB) heading for a minimum of around 975mB in 6 to 8 hours as the "eye" passes over me. Heavy rain bands have been arriving since mid-afternoon.
National Grid has sent out emails to customers to assure them that their network is resilient, but do "subscribe for email updates" just in case! Hey, the UPS will keep me online for 20 minutes...
I'll be posting updates on power cuts if they become significant.
#StormAusten
#weather
#g7izu
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/486/006/032/309/603/original/70622c09f195b3d3.mp4

2026-10-21 17:47:57 UTC

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Terrestrial Weather
Weather models are tending to agree now that the track of Storm "Austen" will be straight up the middle of the English Channel.
Various yellow and amber wind and rain warnings are in effect across Ireland and United Kingdom for Friday. I expect more warnings will come into force across northern France soon.
I suspect some shipping in the English Channel will be disrupted due to this storm, and I expect many vessels will try to seek shelter in any leeward bays they can find. Due to the storm track right up the channel I expect these will be hard to find!
#stormausten
#weather
#g7izu
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2026-10-20 09:09:35 UTC

Terrestrial Weather
Southern England and north-west France are in for a battering on Thursday night/Friday morning due to a rapidly intensifying Atlantic storm. The predicted central pressure is ~975mB as it tracks across the south coast.
The UK Met Office has a yellow wind warning in place for South West England and South Wales for Friday 23 Oct.
During the event I'll be tracking powercuts across Ireland and the UK using my UK Energy Monitor app. If you're comfortable downloading from Github and have Python on your machine, you can run your own copy.
Download it via my website here:
https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/uk-grid-monitor/
#weather
#ukgrid
#metoffice
#g7izu
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2026-10-17 14:46:04 UTC

UK Grid Monitor
Major update v2026.10.17.1.
Severe drought was declared for parts of Southern England, so I added monitoring of Englands major reservoirs to the monitor app.
Yesterday it was announced that NESO (the National Electricity System Operator for Great Britain) spent nearly £50m in one day on paying wind farms to stop producing electricity, and paying gas turbine generators to produce extra electricity to fill the gap (because the infrastructure doesn't have the capacity to carry the wind energy from Scotland down to the south where it's needed). I've added monitoring of NESO's expenditure which ultimately get's passed on to us, the consumers.
The UK Grid Monitor gives you access to real-time, or near real-time, data from electricity, gas, Environment Agency and weather providers.
Octopus Energy customers can also monitor their energy usage (as long as they have a smart meter and have input their personal account and API details). All data remains on your local machine, saved to files which are used to make the graphs in the app. A running instance of Python 3 is required for data collection, and the app displays in a web browser.
Download the app from Github via this page which has some screenshots.
https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/uk-grid-monitor/
#ukgrid
#southwestwater
#wessexwater
#environmentagency
#python
#g7izu
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2026-10-16 23:27:41 UTC

Water Stress
Parts of the UK are now under severe drought conditions. Reservoir levels are far below normal for the time of year.
"Severe drought has been declared across parts of southern England after months of low rainfall.
"Parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex are affected by the announcement from the Environment Agency, which followed a review of water resources and drought conditions across England by the National Drought Group."
Read more:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwm243lrgdpgo
#climatechange
#waterstress
#elnino
#drought
#g7izu
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/453/154/090/980/433/original/d569dc6fd6991595.png
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2026-10-14 15:19:34 UTC

Terrestrial Weather
An exceptionally intense area of low pressure is causing very stormy weather between Scotland and Iceland. As the low moves rapidly north-east, cold air will be pulled from the north which will bring back more seasonally "normal" temperatures, ending the record-breaking high temperatures of the last six months across Europe.
#weather
#climatechange
#g7izu
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2026-10-10 20:25:17 UTC

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Strong Aurora is visible on the Starvisor camera at Ostrolensky, Russia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFIfrptxois
#spaceweather
#aurora
#g7izu
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/418/480/664/605/907/original/043becec4bc7f848.mp4

2026-10-10 20:20:26 UTC

Space Weather
A SEVERE G4 geomagnetic storm is in progress.
HF propagation will be impacted above 30°.
Auroral scatter severe >65°, aurora may be observed at mid-latitudes.
GPS and power grid disruption is likely at higher latitudes.
#spaceweather
#aurora
#g7izu
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/418/453/766/125/830/original/e7d712a99de3cbd9.mp4

2026-10-10 18:16:03 UTC

Space Weather
A STRONG G3 geomagnetic storm is now in progress. The solar wind speed exceeded and extremely fast 900km/s a few minutes ago. The planetary Kp is reached Kp 7.33. The Bz is strongly negative.
Stunning auroras are being seen around the world! Auroral radio contacts are being reported by amateur radio operators down to ~55°N over Europe.
#spaceweather
#aurora
#amateurradio
#radiopropagation
#g7izu
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2026-10-10 17:43:57 UTC

Space Weather
A G2 geomagnetic storm is in progress.
Stunning aurora is visible from the Gelibrand camera in Tasmania. Aurora is also becoming visible across Northern Europe above 54°N as dusk falls. The 2nd image is from Russia.
#spaceweather
#aurora
#g7izu
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2026-10-10 17:12:14 UTC

Space Weather
Aurora is visible on a camera in Gellibrand, southern Tasmania.
Watch the live stream here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/_GgRcQPu_7E
#spaceweather
#suarora
#g7izu
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2026-10-10 15:59:19 UTC

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Space Weather
An extreme geomagnetic shock in the solar wind has compressed the sunward magnetopause to deep within the orbits of some satellites in geostationary orbit, exposing them to the raw solar wind. The magnetopause normally resides at around 10-12 earth radii, but severe geomagnetic storms can compress it to within 5-6 earth radii. Geostationary orbit is at 6.6 earth radii.
#spaceweather
#g7izu
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2026-10-10 15:32:20 UTC

Space Weather
Lots going on!
An M6.4 flare peaked at 15h09 UT 10 Oct. A moderate R2 radio blackout is affecting South America and Atlantic Ocean regions. A 10cm radio burst has been observed.
An extreme geomagnetic shock has been detected at L1 and Earth arrival is confirmed in the last few minutes. The magnetopause has been compressed within geostationary orbit.
Kp levels are rising and are currently G1 level. Substorms are affecting high and polar latitudes - aurora is possible.
Proton levels at L1 are moderate.
#spaceweather
#aurora
#g7izu
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2026-10-09 21:39:56 UTC

Space Weather
The first CME and geomagnetic storm hit this morning at around 07h UT (09 Oct). Sub-storms followed causing auroras at high-latitudes.
NOAA has downgraded the storm watch for 09 Oct to G1 from G2 and added a G1 watch on 10 Oct. They have a G2 watch in effect for 11 Oct.
#spaceweather
#aurora
#g7izu
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2026-10-09 21:03:54 UTC

Earthquake
Several major earthquakes struck off the coast of Panama within the last few hours.
An M7.7 at ~10km depth hit 204km SSW of Panama City at 17h56 UT, followed by an <5,5 at 18h22 UT, an M5.8 at 18h37 UT, several more ~M5 quakes, and an M6.6 at 20h25 UT. Further aftershocks are likely in the coming hours and days.
#earthquake
#panama
#g7izu
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/412/974/354/472/409/original/b2835ce4f3999763.mp4

2026-10-08 17:06:43 UTC

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Space Weather
A type IV radio emission has also been detected, reinforcing the certainty of another CME. NOAA has not corrected the 4,125km/s reading of the type II, in fact they reissued the alert. This speed is unheard of if it's true! (hint: it most likely isnt true!)
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/406/371/271/508/843/original/f54ad4b7874fc2e1.png

2026-10-08 16:54:55 UTC

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Space Weather
A type II radio emission was associated with the M6.5 flare. The NOAA emission report includes a very suspicious emission speed of >4,000km/s, so further information is awaited.
#spaveweather
#g7izu
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2026-10-08 16:19:43 UTC

Space Weather
An M6.5 flare peaked at 15h48 UT 08 Oct. A moderate R2 radio blackout affected South and Central America, and southern parts of North America.
#spaceweather
#g7izu
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2026-10-08 14:44:10 UTC

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Space Weather
I'm travelling tomorrow (Friday) and likely will be off internet for up to 8 hours. I may not be able to provide timely updates on the progress of the initial solar storms, but I should be back online by around 20h UT.
If you can access my Space Weather Ops web browser dashboard you'll be as up to date as anyone! Find out more here:
https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/space-weather-ops/
#spaceweather
#g7izu

2026-10-08 06:46:52 UTC

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Space Weather
Solar Storm Update: We now have a train of three solar storms heading for Earth, plus influences from two big pockets of fast solar wind from coronal holes.
The first CME is expected early on the 9th with the 2nd arriving later on the 9th or early 10th, and the third probably arriving later on the 10th.
The pockets of fast solar wind will start to hit us on the 12th through to the 14th, after which conditions should calm down.
Geomagnetic conditions are expected to reach G2-G3 levels. Aurora photographers should get ready for nearly a full week of potential activity!
The sun may not have given up after this as occasional radio blackouts are still being caused by flare activity.
#spaceweather
#aurora
#g7izu

2026-10-07 19:16:49 UTC

Space Weather
Two incoming CMEs (Coronal Mass Ejection) caused by Earth-facing eruptions on 06 Oct are expected to reach Earth on Friday 09 Oct. The first (and weaker) of these may arrive by 04h on the 9th.
NOAA has issued a warning of G1-G2 level geomagnetic storm conditions on 09 Oct.
#spaceweather
#g7izu

2026-09-29 22:35:38 UTC

Space Weather
A large west-side filament eruption that erupted yesterday (28 Sept) has produced a solar storm that will cause us a glancing blow in a few days.
Additionally, the fast solar wind from a large trans-equatorial coronal hole will become geo-effective in three to four days.
Geomagnetic activity will start to ramp up and become unsettled from around 02 Oct for several days.
#spaceweather
#g7izu
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/356/693/427/106/142/original/8e9f85e67f58eff3.mp4

2026-09-26 20:42:13 UTC

UK & Ireland Grid Monitor - UPDATE
The grid monitor is had some major updates since the last version.
We now have a live power cuts map covering all of the UK and Ireland. A statistics panel tracks wind speeds (based on METAR reports) and shows any correlations with the numbers of cuts reported in a region due to high winds. This has a learning function so will update as events change.
In England, assuming there are enough EA rain gauges near you, the live weather tracker can track rain showers and weather fronts, giving estimates of how long before it will rain at your location. In coastal regions Open Meteo and Open Weather Maps API feeds try to dynamically fill in the sea areas. This is a flexible system based on your location. I'd like to hear you feedback on how well this works.
Enable the voice alarms in the alarm panel for the Full Monty of electricity grid and gas supply alerts, storms and power cuts, Environment Agency flood alerts and hyper-local real-time weather alerts. You can also check the river level gauges for any rivers near you (England only).
A reminder that the app runs locally on a desktop PC in a browser window using local machine port 8412, but you MUST have Python v3 or above installed and running for it to work.
Open Weather Maps OC4 (at the free tier) is optional, but will enhance the weather forecasting greatly if you get it. Three free electricity company APIs are required to get the full UK and Ireland power cuts information - links are provided on the power cuts page for you to get these. If you have an Octopus Energy account and a smart meter you can enter your account and API details to monitor your own usage, with history going back two years.
Download the latest version via this page:
https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/software/
#ukgrid
#g7izu
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2026-09-26 11:12:23 UTC

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UK Electricity Grid
⚡ GB grid frequency is running high this morning
Since about 8am, Britain's grid frequency has repeatedly gone above 50.2 Hz, the top of the normal ±0.2 Hz operating band. My monitor logged 15 excursions between 08:00 and noon BST. The highest was 50.241 Hz at 11:54. The previous nine days had between 0 and 4 excursions each, for the whole day.
What's going on? There's more power than demand.
☀️ It's a sunny Saturday. The transmission grid doesn't see rooftop solar directly, so it shows up as falling demand. National demand dropped from 22.5 GW to 17.7 GW between 08:30 and 11:30.
Imports went up anyway. Net interconnector imports climbed from about 2 GW to over 6 GW, including a jump of about 2.8 GW around 8am. The first excursion came at 08:03, right on that step.
🏭 Gas is backing off, but not fast enough. Gas generation fell from 5.8 to 2.1 GW and biomass halved, but pumped storage (pumping about 1.5 GW) and batteries still had to absorb the surplus.
⏱️ About half the spikes came within 5 minutes of :00 or :30, when interconnector and generator schedules change.
With average frequency sitting around 50.15 Hz, the grid's normal small swings are enough to push it past 50.2.
There's a second effect too. Inertia fell from 167 to 125 GW·s as gas plant came off, so the system reacts more sharply to any disturbance.
It isn't over. The 11:00 hour was the worst so far, and solar hasn't peaked yet. I'd expect more excursions until midday passes or imports are cut back.
This is no cause for alarm. The legal limit is 50.5 Hz and NESO has plenty of tools to manage this. It's a good live example of how a sunny weekend changes the way the grid runs.
#GBGrid
#EnergyTransition
#Solar
#GridFrequency
#g7izu
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2026-09-26 09:57:15 UTC

UK Electricity Grid
The UK grid is flirting with a higher than normal operating frequency this morning with frequent short excursions above the normal operational limit of 50.2 Hz, indicating too much generation for the current load.
The normal operational range is between 49.8 and 50.2 Hz. The statutory operating limits are 49.5 to 50.5 Hz. Automatic response mechanisms are triggered to try to absorb the excess power above 50.2 Hz.
#ukgrid
#g7izu
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2026-09-24 08:25:53 UTC

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Space Weather:
G1 Geomagnetic Storm Expected soon
The DST ring current has now reversed and is falling fast into negative territory. The solar wind Bz (polarity component) is strongly negative.
Aurora may be possible at high latitudes. New Zealand and Australia are coming into darkness - the US/Canada are still in darkness so have a good chance to see it. The rest of us in Europe will have to wait!
HF propagation will be degraded at higher latitudes.
#spaceweather
#g7izu
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2026-09-23 15:00:23 UTC

Space Weather
Sudden Storm Commencement: The DST (Disturbance Storm Time Index) spiked to +24nT at 13h UT, suggesting imminent geomagnetic storm conditions, which could follow within hours.
The solar wind density is gradually increasing, but is still quite low.
NOAA has put a G1 (minor) watch in effect for tomorrow (24 Oct).
#spaceweather
#g7izu
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2026-09-22 18:06:11 UTC

Equinoctial sunset across Plymouth Sound, on the final sunset before the sun crosses the equator going south-bound. The equinox occurs at precisely 00h04 UTC 23 Sept.
Webcam courtesy Plymouth marine Biological Association: https://www.camsecure.co.uk/PlymouthSoundAndHoe.html
#equinox
#sunset
#g7izu
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2026-09-21 21:25:25 UTC

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UK Electricity
The UK's electricity mix is vastly different now to last night. Gas generators are tonight providing ~46% of the supply due to a large drop in available wind power.
#ukgrid
#g7izu
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2026-09-20 22:58:55 UTC

UK Electricity
Imported electricity to the UK is currently the largest provider of the UK's energy mix.
https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/software/
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2026-09-18 16:51:40 UTC

Space Weather: The disappearing sunspots!
For the first time since February 2026, our sun is missing its spots! The sunspot number is virtually zero today (I won't pin an exact number on it as different observatories count their spots differently!)
This is perfectly normal behaviour for the sun as we approach solar minimum. It will not lead to a mini ice-age or cause your beer to freeze over if you step outside!
#spaceweather
#g7izu
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2026-09-18 11:26:05 UTC

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UK & Ireland Electricity
UPDATE: It appears that this may be bad data being reported by NEI. Please consider this a false alarm!
#ukgrid
#NIE
#g7izu
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2026-09-18 10:51:25 UTC

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UK & Ireland Electricity
**UPDATE - FALSE ALARM - see replies to this thread**
The number of customers off-power in Northern Ireland is now reported by NIE to be around 236,000.
#ukgrid
#NIE
#g7izu
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2026-09-18 10:17:31 UTC

UK & Ireland Electricity
A major power cut has hit Northern Ireland.
Over 130,000 customers have lost power this morning.
#ukgrid
#NIE
#g7izu
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2026-09-18 00:20:28 UTC

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Stop worrying. There's no sign of a new Maunder Minimum happening any time soon.
As solar cycle 25 winds down there'll be a period in a year or two, lasting maybe six months or so, where no sunspots at all will be visible. This will not cause a mini ice-age., just like in the 24 solar cycles that have happened since the Maunder Minimum.
You should be more concerned with your rogue president destroying the world than any daft conspiracy theories.

2026-09-17 23:13:06 UTC

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There are several active showers during this period:
Epsilon Perseids (September Perseids): Peaked around September 9 (active September 5–21), bringing roughly 5 meteors per hour, best viewed in the second half of the night.
September Lyncids: Peaked around September 13 (active September 10 to October 8), offering a modest rate of about 4 swift meteors per hour.
Chi Cygnids: Reached peak activity around September 14, providing very low and variable rates of slow, faint meteors.
Southern Taurids: Began their long activity period on September 10 (running until November 20 and peaking later on October 10)

2026-09-17 22:16:58 UTC

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Thanks for tagging me in... I hadn't seen this. Certainly it seems a worry for LEO considering the 775km orbit altitude. I see suggestions that a tank rupture or battery cell failure could be at fault. https://www.reddit.com/r/spaceporn/comments/1wirrzu/usa_32_spy_satellite_just_broke_apart_in_earth/

2026-09-08 10:42:14 UTC

Space Weather
The geomagnetic storm strength reached G1 (minor) level at 07h30 UT this morning.
Further bursts of substorm activity will continue as this storm progresses, giving further opportunities to see aurora at the higher latitudes.
#spaceweather
#aurora
#g7izu
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2026-09-07 22:32:02 UTC

Space Weather: Geomagnetic Storm Update
Geomagnetic activity is continuing to build as a number of CMEs reach Earth. Aurora has been seen at high latitudes.
The 1-minute Kp level is currently below G1 level (Kp4) but it's likely to exceed that soon. The DST (Disturbance Storm Time index) is falling quickly and is now at -47nT, showing that the ring current is charging up.
Amateur radio operators at high latitudes have reported auroral radio contacts over Scandinavia.
#spaceweather
#aurora
#g7izu
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2026-09-04 22:31:28 UTC

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Tonight, wind power is providing 51% of the UK's electricity needs.
https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/software/
#gridmonitor
#g7izu
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2026-09-04 22:17:45 UTC

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The UK is currently not importing any gas from Norway via the Langeled pipeline.
This is unusual, but not uncommon as it happens a couple of times per year.
https://www.businessenergydeals.co.uk/blog/langeled-pipeline/
Get the software to monitor this here:
https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/software/
#gridmonitor
#g7izu
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2026-09-04 16:33:55 UTC

GB Grid Monitor: One for the data geeks!
You may know that I recently created an energy and environment dashboard that's available to download on Github.
Over the last week or so I've made some significant upgrades to the dashboard's monitoring and data logging functions. For example, local weather alerts are now enhanced. Rain is tracked nearby and alerts are spoken when rain is due at your location through the use of Environment Agency rain gauges. Mobile "Virtual" rain gauges are deployed to track and confirm incoming rain using Open Meteo and Open Weather Maps APIs. If using a VPN the API limits may be hit very quickly, so try to exclude Python from the VPN by using split-tunneling, or switch off the VPN.
The electricity grid monitoring is enhanced and includes a "system risk index". This monitors system inertia and alerts for when the system is particularly at risk of collapse - the function is calibrated against NESO's own data. Despite official statements, the grid is in a very precarious state at the moment due to rate of decarbonization and the shift to renewables. If the grid frequency moves outside of the statutory limits you hear annoyingly loud alarms (annoying only for your non-geeky other half, that is!)
If a collapse is imminent and the data reaches you before the power goes off, you may get a few seconds' notice before it all goes black.
Data logging is now in place so that historical electricity data can be plotted as 7-day graphs, with data available since 2017 - great for researchers! Frequency plots from upto the last 30 days can be captured to image files via the frequency "history" plot (assuming the app was running to capture the data). Generator plots are back-filled from online archives so can fill in if the app wasn't running.
For the best experience please read the "readme file" before using.
https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/software/
#gridmonitor
#ukgrid
#elexon
#environmentAgency
#g7izu
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2026-09-02 20:24:56 UTC

Space Weather
An M3.0 flare peaked at 19h21 UT 02 Sep. Type II and IV radio emissions were observed, with a CME being observed in imagery.
The flare originated on the east limb so the CME will not be Earth-directed.
#spaceweather
#g7izu
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2026-08-25 10:18:09 UTC

Space Weather
An M6.9 solar flare peaked at 10h02 UT 25 Aug. A moderate R2 radio blackout affected Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
UPDATE: A type II radio emission and a 10cm radio burst has been detected, indicating the release of a CME.
The flare originated from Earth-facing active region AR4513.
A large coronal hole in the southern hemisphere is also present and there's a chance we may get some influence from its fast solar wind stream.
#spaceweather
#g7izu
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2026-08-22 21:39:51 UTC

Space Policy
The Brussels Times: The European Union told the UN Conference on Disarmament in Geneva that it wants new norms of “responsible behaviour” in outer space alongside future legally binding agreements to help prevent an arms race in space.
Outer space is a “global commons” that should be used for the benefit of all humankind, and keeping it peaceful is needed to protect access, safety and the long-term use of the space environment, the EU said, according to a statement from the EU Delegation to the UN in Geneva released on Friday.
The bloc also reiterated that international law applies to activities in outer space, including the UN Charter and international humanitarian law, as set out in Article III of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty.
Countries that have not yet joined the Outer Space Treaty should sign and ratify it “without further delay”, the EU said.
Read the full article:
https://www.brusselstimes.com/eu-affairs/2282334/eu-warns-of-rising-threats-in-space-calls-for-urgent-actions-to-prevent-arms-race
#space
#euparliament
#g7izu

2026-08-22 19:16:36 UTC

Marine Band Radio interference
What on earth is going on on VHF marine channel 16 in the Plymouth area? This noise has been ongoing for a long time. I don't know how local it is to me.
Ch16 is the international calling and distress channel.
#marine
#marineradio
#g7izu
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2026-08-22 10:08:30 UTC

Space Weather
Proton storm building
A solar energetic particle storm is building following an eruption from beyond the east limb.
Goes >=10MeV proton levels are approaching the S1 minor radiation storm level.
Electron levels are also rising. Electron charging can cause issues to satellite electronics. Energetic protons can also upset data on satellite computers.
#spaceweather
#g7izu
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2026-08-18 11:05:34 UTC

Earthquakes
A series of moderate, shallow earthquakes has been hitting southern Spain since an M5.2 hit at 23h04 UT on 14 Aug.
This morning there have been at least four quakes measuring between M4 and M4.9. These are all clustered in a region near Granada in Andalusia.
Shaking has been felt across a wide area with damage reported to buildings and vehicles.
The region is in a network of active faults lines. The biggest recorded quake in the region was an M6.5-6.7 in 1884, which caused significant damage and upto 1200 deaths in the Granada-Malaga area.
#earthquake
#spain
#granada
#Málaga
#g7izu
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2026-08-16 14:27:35 UTC

Boscastle Floods anniversary
22 years ago today, devastating storms over the north Cornwall caused devastating flooding to the coastal villages of Boscastle and Crackington Haven.
I was a camera operator on duty at the regional BBC South West in Plymouth on 16th August 2004. At 4pm I got a call from the producer and was sent up in a helicopter to capture pictures from Boscastle. As we flew north from Liskeard we could see the towering storm clouds over the north coast, which had been caused by convergent winds from the north and south coasts building up over the spine of the South-West Peninsular.
Video was recorded on tape and we flew the footage back to Plymouth Airport, from where it was rushed to the studio about four miles away. By some miracle we got it on end of the national 6 O'Clock News. The footage I filmed went around the world, and sustained the BBC News Channel output for much of that evening and night.
The next day I was back with the TV satellite truck servicing local and nation news outlets with pictures of the aftermath.
A year later on the one year anniversary, we were back at Boscastle doing a programme about how the village of Boscastle had coped and how it was recovering. In the local shop I found this souvenir pen of the event! I've kept it on the desk in my home office ever since.
The ingenuity of the Cornish to make a few extra pennies never ceases to amaze me!
Read more about the flooding at Boscastle in 2004, which includes video of vans and cars being washed down the river, from which the souvenir pen was based:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-28523053
#boscastle
#flooding
#g7izu
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2026-08-16 10:44:34 UTC

Space Weather
We had a filament eruption in the south-east quadrant yesterday. That, combined with a large far-sided blast, released a messy solar storm with some solar material heading towards Earth.
Geomagnetic conditions may reach G1 levels on the 17th and/or 18th.
This solar cycle is now well into the declining phase, and the "style" of how solar storms are generated is changing to becoming more coronal-hole driven.
Dr Scott McIntosh says that coronal holes are a poorly understood science (mainly due to a lack of funding to support research over the last 20 years). Coronal holes are gaps in the solar atmosphere where bursts of solar wind can stream out and cause solar storms with little warning. During solar minimum these events are less eruptive, but nonetheless potent.
The F10.7 solar flux is dropping, and we'll be getting very few flares. Experts do warn that there still exists the potential for a few very large events as the reach solar-minimum, but then we'll have periods lasting months with no sunspots at all.
Watch Dr Scott McIntosh discuss this solar cycle on Space Weather Unplugged with Marybeth and Tanya here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCRI6wTTmWs&list=LL&index=1
#spaceweather
#spaceweatherunplugged
#g7izu

2026-08-14 22:21:29 UTC

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Earthquake
A second earthquake M6.1 followed nearby.
#earthquake
#indonesia
#g7izu
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2026-08-14 22:14:02 UTC

Earthquake
Major M7.5 earthquake strikes 166km east of Labuan Region, Indonesia at 21h58 UT 14 Aug, depth 38km.
#earthquake
#indonesia
#g7izu
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2026-08-14 18:18:36 UTC

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UK Gov also just issued an emergency alert warning of wild fire risks. This should have been sent out at least two months ago...
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2026-08-14 17:52:12 UTC

Sun, moon and Earth
Despite around 71% of the UK being under a drought warning, the UK's Environment Agency has issued 13 flood warnings during the last day or two.
The warnings are actually for coastal and estuary areas, thanks to the very high "spring" tides which may cause over-topping of sea defenses.
The sun, moon and Earth are still more or less in line following Wednesday's total eclipse.
If you're near coastal regions in the UK check the UK Gov website for flood warnings:
https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/alerts-and-warnings
Porlock webcam:
http://porlockweirhotel.co.uk/web-cam
#eclipse2026
#environmentagency
#flooding
#g7izu
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2026-08-12 18:43:59 UTC

Just to point out that I've only experienced two of these things today - the Perseids and the (partial) eclipse.
#eclispe2026
#g7izu
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2026-08-12 18:33:08 UTC

Solar Eclipse
Totality in Spain
#eclipse2026
#tve
#g7izu
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2026-08-12 18:31:13 UTC

Solar Eclipse
The moon casts its shadow across the North Atlantic, as seen from orbit.
#eclipse2026
#eumetsat
#g7izu
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2026-08-12 18:23:42 UTC

Solar Eclipse
Maximum in south-west UK just now
#eclipse2026
#g7izu
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2026-08-12 17:54:11 UTC

Solar Eclipse
Watch live eclipse coverage from Spain here. Totality in Spain is in around 30 minutes.
https://tvgarden.world/tv/es/GAhdvDWq8TxmT0
#eclipse2026
#spain
#g7izu
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2026-08-12 17:48:55 UTC

Solar Eclipse
Totality in Iceland has just finished
#eclipse2026
#iceland
#g7izu
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2026-08-12 16:53:40 UTC

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Enjoy the Icelandic language and see the total eclipse first here: https://tvgarden.world/tv/is/jyTWdinG00DuQy
#eclipse2026
#iceland
#g7izu

2026-08-12 16:49:18 UTC

Solar Eclipse
First contact in Iceland
#eclipse2026
#iceland
#g7izu
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2026-08-12 15:46:47 UTC

Solar Eclipse
Some roads in Spain are getting busy as the total eclipse approaches.
As I was posting about UK energy, here's a capture of the pre-eclipse power sources currently feeding the UK grid. Solar is the prime source but is now declining as we are past noon. Solar will almost disappear in a couple of hours during peak eclipse, somewhat sooner than it would without the eclipse. GAS is flashing green as generators are brought online to fill the shortage.
#ukgrid
#elexon
#g7izu
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2026-08-11 23:11:45 UTC

UK National Grid issues a "reduced margin" notice for the Eclipse
The UK's National Electricity System Operator (NESO) Electricity Control Centre has issued an "Electricity Margin Notice" covering a four hour period around the partial solar eclipse on Wednesday.
At the peak of the eclipse just after 17h UT, 90-95% of the sun will be obscured over the UK, cutting the power that PV solar cells can produce substantially for a period of time by up to 1760 MW. This, combined with the evening peak demand, has prompted NESO to issue the notice.
The Electricity Margin Notice is not a warning of impending power cuts. Instead it's letting the power generation industry know that there's a period when the safety margin will be reduced more than they want it to be, and therefore inviting flexible generation options to be made available at short notice should it be required. This is a normal type of request for this kind of event.
The full text of the notice in shown in the fourth image.
#nationalgrid
#elexon
#eclipse2026
#g7izu
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2026-08-11 09:29:51 UTC

Space Weather
In ancient Greece, a "meteor" referred to any natural phenomenon in the sky or atmosphere, including rain, rainbows, lightning, comets, and shooting stars.
As you probably know by now, tomorrow sees two meteorological events and a total solar eclipse. It'll be a long day for anyone keen to view all the events!
The annual Perseids meteor shower peaks in the hours before before sunrise (tonight) on the 12th. The radiant is circumpolar in the N hemisphere. As the moon is nearly "new", the dark sky should give good viewing where the sky is clear.
The full solar eclipse will be visible late in the day on a path starting at the North Pole, then cutting down across Greenland and the western tips of Iceland, down the Atlantic Ocean curving eastwards across the top of Spain and the western Mediterranean Sea. A partial eclipse will be seen at sunrise in N America, the UK & Ireland and most of western Europe, and West Africa as sunset approaches.
A couple of solar storms are incoming which could cause geomagnetic storming up to G1 levels on the 12th. This, combined with straggling Perseids meteors, should make for some fantastic photo opportunities.
As most people will be viewing the partial eclipse phase, remember DO NOT look directly at the sun without the correct solar glasses or a solar filter. I've already seen on Facebook people suggesting to use cheap welding goggles to view the sun! This is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS as most welding goggles are NOT dark enough to filter out harmful UV and IR solar radiation, and permanent eye damage could result.
Radio Propagation: HF radio conditions are currently poor due to the low solar flux. The minor geomagnetic storms tomorrow may further impact conditions at higher latitudes and cause minor GPS disruption.
The eclipse will have a temporary impact on the ionosphere as the moon's shadow reduces D-layer absorption.
https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2026-august-12
#spaceweather
#aurora
#eclipse2026
#perseids
#g7izu
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2026-08-06 23:02:30 UTC

Radio Nostalgia
52 years ago, a paging system called Eurosignal was introduced in Germany on four spot frequencies just below the lower end of the FM band. France and Switzerland were the only other countries to adopt the system. The system was in use for just 24 years between 1974 and 1998.
Eurosignal sent six-digit paging messages to subscribers who paid around DM1000 (Deutschemark) for a receiver and DM25 per month for the service. The receivers were large and needed long aerials, so weren't quiet small enough to comfortably carry around.
If you've heard the Eurosignal tones before, you'll never forget them. For listeners near the transmitters in Europe the tones would be ever-present, but outside the service areas mainly during tropospheric radio openings, DXers and normal listeners alike would hear the strange tone sequencies coming through their FM radios. They were mysterious, and special. The signals would become excellent radio propagation indicators for the DXers, and they were missed after the system was closed down.
In 1996, the band AIR used the signals to good effect in their track LES PROFFESSIONELS (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FuKrPy6h80).
Just for fun, I've made a Eurosignal simulator. It faithfully recreates the tone sequences and plays messages at random (continuously), or manually one at a time if you input some numbers. You can even add FM noise and fading for that added authentic FM radio sound!
https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/files/eurosignal/eurosignal.html
#radiopropagation
#eurosignal
#g7izu
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2026-07-31 09:57:39 UTC

NOAA
NOAA ditches weather-predicting supercomputers for Google Cloud https://share.google/TKIEFiAAbovpPoESE
#spaceweather
#g7izu

2026-07-31 00:04:49 UTC

Space Weather Ops
The space weather dashboard is working again via a tortuous work-around involving VPNs. It's a little delicate so it may break again in the future. The internet shouldn't be like this.
Time for bed...
PS. The radiation storm is now at S1 level.
#spaceweather
#g7izu
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2026-07-30 21:51:28 UTC

Space Weather
An S2 radiation storm is in progress
A sharp proton enhancement began around 17:30 UTC on Jul 30, across all integral channels. HF propagation will be degraded across polar regions. Health risks for cabin crew and pregnant women flying across polar regions will be elevated.
#spaceweather
#g7izu
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2026-07-15 23:49:12 UTC

Climate report: The State of UK Climate in 2025
"Climate extremes are becoming the new 'normal' for the UK."
"The climate of the 20th Century has now gone."
Long read:
https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/joc.70470?fbclid=IwdGRjcATE9dpjbGNrBMT1dGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHhMUkVxlDpMCXnRBErlUiyaqoOCA8e3eoBPFEWy-SKuutG11Kw6E5RsGu84w_aem_aTIDl66s1gH1b5mSGatwpA
#climate
#ClimateChange
#g7izu
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2026-07-09 22:27:22 UTC

Space Weather
The fast solar wind from a trans-equatorial coronal hole is now hitting Earth. The speed has been increasing most of today and is now at around 600km/s.
The IMF Bt is elevated between 6-13nT, causing minor geomagnetic disturbances. HF propagation has been impacted at high and polar latitudes.
Space Weather Ops Dashboard:
https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/space-weather-ops/
#spaceweather
#g7izu
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2026-07-08 10:28:16 UTC

Radio Broadcasting
"They Shut Down BBC Longwave. Australia Rebuilt This"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz7gTLumcm8
#droitwich
#bbc
#abc
#g7izu

2026-07-04 20:50:09 UTC

Space Weather
An X1.3 flare peaked at 20h41 UT 04 July.
A strong R3 radio blackout is affecting North and Central America and the eastern Pacific Ocean.
#spaceweather
#g7izu
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2026-07-04 10:22:06 UTC

Space Weather
STRONG G3 GEOMAGNETIC STORM in progress.
For the first time in a long time we're being treated to the "core" of a coronal mass ejection. Disturbed conditions will continue for many hours.
Aurora has been spotted at mid-latitudes where the sky was dark, but mid-summer sun in the north has of course hampered observations, and light pollution has confused some people! The southern hemisphere is better placed to seeing a decent show.
We're currently in the "main phase" of the storm, but there are signs that the "recovery" phase may begin soon. The DST ring current has charged up to a massive -162nT, which for geomagnetic storms is in "severe" territory. Once the DST starts to go up again we'll be in the recovery phase, which will last several days.
HF radio propagation is currently poor since the F2 layer is suppressed, especially on mid and low latitude paths.
During recovery, the upper atmosphere will heat up and expand, causing increased drag to satellites in low Earth orbit. Electrical charging of electronic components can damage satellite electronics if they're not protected. Power grids will have to dump excess energy to the ground. There will be widespread disruption to GPS signals so don't rely on them for high-precision accuracy.
#spaceweather
#aurora
#gps
#g7izu
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2026-07-03 11:41:56 UTC

Space Weather
CME "Sudden Impulse" Detected
The first CME in a train of CMEs is almost upon us.
At L1 the solar wind speed has has jumped up from <400km/s to >450km/s. Density and temperature have also jumped up. Energetic protons, as measured at L1 by the EPAM instrument on the ACE satellite, are rising. These are all sure signs that the CME is less than an hour from Earth.
A G2 watch is in effect for today and tomorrow.
#spaceweather
#g7izu
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2026-07-02 21:58:00 UTC

Space Weather
We're in for a couple of days of solar storms, starting tomorrow (03 June) as the CME from the X1.1 flare on the 30th and several smaller CMEs reach us.
The first CME should hit before midday on the 3rd and could cause G2 level storming. NOAA SWPC has issued a G2 watch for both 03 and 04 June.
Solar proton levels have been increasing ahead of the initial CME.
Track the solar storm live with the Space Weather Ops dashboard:
https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/space-weather-ops/
#spaceweather
#g7izu
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2026-06-30 21:34:25 UTC

- reply

The NASA/SDO AIA211 filter reveals the CME.
#spaceweather
#g7izu
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2026-06-30 21:29:37 UTC

Space Weather
A major X1.1 solar flare from Earth-facing active region AR4479 peaked at 20h52 UT 30 June. A strong R3 radio blackout took out most HF radio communications across the mid and eastern Pacific and a large part of North and Central America.
A nine-minute type II radio emission was detected with velocity of 1,496 km/s. A Type IV radio emission was also detected. A 10cm radio burst was laso detected with a peak flux of 409 sfu. These all strongly indicate the release of a CME.
The solar flux is reducing and should be below M-level within the next 30 minutes. HF radio paths are slowly recovering.
#spaceweather
#g7izu
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2026-06-27 19:36:43 UTC

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It might not have happened! Several false reports today... But if it did, all I can say is it's an active tectonic location, so earthquakes and volcanoes are quite common!

2026-06-27 19:20:12 UTC

Earthquake
An M5.8 earthquake just struck near Reykavik, Iceland at depth 5km. This is quite significant.
https://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake_information/earthquake.php?id=2017933
#earthquake
#iceland
#g7izu
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2026-06-25 16:17:46 UTC

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Terrestrial Weather
The heat before the storm... Still bright sunshine in Plymouth and 30°C. The initial storms look like they'll be heading a bit west of me into Cornwall, but the following ones may be drifting more eastwards.
#weather
#g7izu
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2026-06-25 14:01:43 UTC

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Terrestrial Weather
Supercell thunderstorms are now en-route from Brittany across the channel to south-west England, ETA at Plymouth roughly 16h UT.
#weather
#g7izu
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2026-06-25 08:00:37 UTC

Terrestrial Weather
Convective (thunderstorm) outlook for the UK and Ireland until 06h Friday. Most of the UK and Ireland are within the black "severe" boundary.
#weather
#g7izu
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2026-06-24 19:09:20 UTC

Terrestrial Weather
Severe thunderstorms and possible tornadoes are predicted across the UK on Thursday and into Friday.
https://handry-outlook.github.io/Thunderstorms/forecast-detail.html?id=JkA6QIDTK3cvuHq7stN1&fbclid=IwY2xjawSpBkxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR7Bqqvl_388eYvOTlDmS8WscHaMJdh1lpIKkAYVt32TOFleTzYMoajTuebrmA_aem_jT3SmUvm1DAicizVg6unnA
#g7izu

2026-06-24 17:01:49 UTC

Climate change
I removed the previous post about the temperature in the Sahara as I was unable to verify if the value was actual or estimated. Rather than leave a potentially misleading post online, I've removed it.
#ClimateChange
#hot
#g7izu

2026-06-18 18:13:33 UTC

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Radio Propagation
A strong sporadic-E cloud is located over The Bay of Biscay.
#spaceweather
#amateurradio
#radiopropagation
#g7izu
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2026-06-18 18:04:00 UTC

Radio Propagation
Strong sporadic-E propagation is affecting Europe, particularly between the UK and the Iberian Peninsula.
Orange=50 MHz
Hot pink=FM Band 2
Red=144 MHz
#spaceweather
#amateurradio
#radiopropagation
#g7izu
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2026-06-14 10:18:06 UTC

Space Weather Ops
Another update today for the Space Weather Ops dashboard.
A couple of important changes:
The path estimator matrix has been overhauled to reduce the amount of chaotic flashing. Please check the colour key at the bottom of the panel for the changed indicator states.
The second major change is removal of the Kiruna magnetometer plot which was difficult to read. It's been replaced by a multi-channel bar graph which is intended to show a number of magnetometers across various longitudes, and therefore track the state of substorms.
The left part of the plot shows seven magnetometers in Alaska. The right side should show five in Europe, but only Kiruna data can be plotted in real-time from a direct feed, and the other four, which are supposed to be served by the USGS, are not showing any data. Should they appear, the plots should light up. Access to live magnetometer feeds in Europe is not easy so apologies for this.
As conditions change, an indicator on the top bar will show substorm progress. Click on the bar graphs to open a more detailed pop up page.
There are also a number of bug-fixes mainly to do with the cadence of alerts and announcements.
#spaceweather
#amateurradio
#g7izu
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