Sun–Earth · storms
The magnetic shield
The solar wind compresses the magnetosphere on the dayside and stretches it into a tail on the nightside. The magnetopause distance is computed here from the latest OMNI measurements (density, speed, Bz) with the Shue et al. (1998) model; the auroral oval widens as Kp rises.
- Magnetopause (sub-solar point)
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- Auroral oval edge
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Latest estimated Kp (SWPC)
2.33
Latest Dst hour (OMNI2)
0 nT
Solar wind speed
481 km/s
Lowest Dst of the series
-589 nT
NOAA SWPC estimated planetary K index (3-hourly) · U.S. Government work, public domain · 10/23/26
OMNI2 hourly near-Earth solar wind and geomagnetic indices · NASA data, public domain; acknowledge SPDF/OMNIWeb and the index providers · 10/23/26
Shue et al. (1998) · Published literature; cited
Earth enlarged, distances in Earth radii (R⊕); oval edge ≈ 66.5° − 2·Kp magnetic latitude (rule of thumb). Particles and field lines are illustrative.
Latest estimated Kp (SWPC)
2.33
2026-10-23 09:00:00 UTC
provisional value
NOAA SWPC estimated planetary K index (3-hourly) · U.S. Government work, public domain · 10/23/26
Latest Dst hour (OMNI2)
0 nT
2026-10-16 14:00:00 UTC
OMNI2 hourly near-Earth solar wind and geomagnetic indices · NASA data, public domain; acknowledge SPDF/OMNIWeb and the index providers · 10/23/26
Lowest Dst of the series
-589 nT
1989-03-14 01:00:00 UTC
OMNI2 hourly near-Earth solar wind and geomagnetic indices · NASA data, public domain; acknowledge SPDF/OMNIWeb and the index providers · 10/23/26
Intense storms since 1963
328
including 25 severe (Dst ≤ −250 nT) · 1199 moderate episodes
OMNI2 hourly near-Earth solar wind and geomagnetic indices · NASA data, public domain; acknowledge SPDF/OMNIWeb and the index providers · 10/23/26
Monthly minimum of the Dst index since 1963
OMNI2 hourly near-Earth solar wind and geomagnetic indices · NASA data, public domain; acknowledge SPDF/OMNIWeb and the index providers · 10/23/26
Show the data as a table
Hourly Dst index, last 90 available days
OMNI2 hourly near-Earth solar wind and geomagnetic indices · NASA data, public domain; acknowledge SPDF/OMNIWeb and the index providers · 10/23/26
Show the data as a table
Kp index, last 30 days
OMNI2 hourly near-Earth solar wind and geomagnetic indices · NASA data, public domain; acknowledge SPDF/OMNIWeb and the index providers · 10/23/26
NOAA SWPC estimated planetary K index (3-hourly) · U.S. Government work, public domain · 10/23/26
Show the data as a table
Historical storms from the literature
| Date | Storm | Dst min. | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1859-09-01 | Carrington storm (1859) Dst reconstructed from the Colaba (Bombay) magnetogram; Siscoe et al. (2006, doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.02.102) estimate −850 nT. Order of magnitude only. |
-900 nT | doi:10.1051/swsc/2013053 |
| 1872-02-03 | Chapman–Silverman storm (February 1872) Dst estimate from historical magnetograms (Colaba, Greenwich, Tiflis); the authors give a wide uncertainty range. |
-834 nT | doi:10.3847/1538-4357/acc6cc |
| 1921-05-12 | New York Railroad storm (May 1921) Dst estimated from four mid-latitude observatories (Apia, Honolulu, San Juan, Vassouras). |
-907 ± 132 nT | doi:10.1029/2019SW002250 |
| 1989-03-12 | March 1989 storm (Hydro-Québec blackout) Dst −589 nT is the WDC Kyoto final value; also present in the OMNI-derived catalogue. |
-589 nT | doi:10.1029/2019SW002278 |
| 2003-10-29 | Halloween storms (October 2003) WDC Kyoto final Dst; a second storm on 20 November 2003 reached −422 nT. Both appear in the OMNI-derived catalogue. |
-383 nT | doi:10.1029/2005JA011268 |
| 2024-05-10 | May 2024 storm (Gannon storm) WDC Kyoto Dst; the strongest storm since November 2003, with aurorae reported at unusually low latitudes. |
-412 nT | doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ad9335 |
Ten strongest episodes detected since 1963
| # | Start (UTC) | Minimum at | Dst min. | Kp max. | Duration | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1989-03-11 22:00 | 1989-03-14 00:00 | -589 nT | 9 | 305 h | severe |
| 2 | 2003-11-20 09:00 | 2003-11-20 19:00 | -422 nT | 8.7 | 74 h | severe |
| 3 | 2024-05-10 17:00 | 2024-05-11 00:00 | -406 nT | 9 | 90 h | severe |
| 4 | 1967-05-25 17:00 | 1967-05-26 03:00 | -387 nT | 9 | 192 h | severe |
| 5 | 2001-03-31 03:00 | 2001-03-31 06:00 | -387 nT | 8.7 | 62 h | severe |
| 6 | 2003-10-29 06:00 | 2003-10-30 21:00 | -383 nT | 9 | 72 h | severe |
| 7 | 2004-11-07 20:00 | 2004-11-08 05:00 | -374 nT | 8.7 | 161 h | severe |
| 8 | 1991-11-08 14:00 | 1991-11-09 00:00 | -354 nT | 8.7 | 66 h | severe |
| 9 | 2024-10-10 15:00 | 2024-10-10 23:00 | -333 nT | 8.7 | 50 h | severe |
| 10 | 1982-07-12 16:00 | 1982-07-13 23:00 | -325 nT | 9 | 198 h | severe |
Catalogue of detected episodes
OMNI2 hourly near-Earth solar wind and geomagnetic indices · NASA data, public domain; acknowledge SPDF/OMNIWeb and the index providers · 10/23/26
| Start (UTC) | Minimum at | End | Dst min. | Kp max. | Duration | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-10-28 21:00 | 2000-10-29 02:00 | 2000-10-30 01:00 | -126 nT | 6 | 29 h | intense |
| 2000-10-13 02:00 | 2000-10-14 12:00 | 2000-10-14 21:00 | -106 nT | 6.7 | 44 h | intense |
| 2000-10-03 01:00 | 2000-10-05 11:00 | 2000-10-06 16:00 | -181 nT | 7.7 | 88 h | intense |
| 2000-09-16 20:00 | 2000-09-17 21:00 | 2000-09-20 02:00 | -201 nT | 8.3 | 79 h | intense |
| 2000-08-10 20:00 | 2000-08-12 07:00 | 2000-08-13 14:00 | -234 nT | 7.7 | 67 h | intense |
| 2000-07-15 11:00 | 2000-07-15 22:00 | 2000-07-17 15:00 | -300 nT | 9 | 53 h | severe |
| 2000-05-24 01:00 | 2000-05-24 06:00 | 2000-05-25 18:00 | -147 nT | 8 | 42 h | intense |
| 2000-04-06 16:00 | 2000-04-06 22:00 | 2000-04-08 16:00 | -292 nT | 8.7 | 49 h | severe |
| 2000-02-12 02:00 | 2000-02-12 10:00 | 2000-02-14 22:00 | -135 nT | 6.7 | 69 h | intense |
| 1999-11-12 23:00 | 1999-11-13 21:00 | 1999-11-14 20:00 | -106 nT | 6.3 | 46 h | intense |
| 1999-10-21 23:00 | 1999-10-22 04:00 | 1999-10-25 15:00 | -237 nT | 8 | 89 h | intense |
| 1999-09-22 19:00 | 1999-09-22 21:00 | 1999-09-24 04:00 | -173 nT | 8 | 34 h | intense |
| 1999-02-18 04:00 | 1999-02-18 08:00 | 1999-02-20 02:00 | -123 nT | 6.7 | 47 h | intense |
| 1999-01-13 16:00 | 1999-01-13 22:00 | 1999-01-15 08:00 | -112 nT | 7 | 41 h | intense |
| 1998-11-13 05:00 | 1998-11-13 20:00 | 1998-11-16 01:00 | -131 nT | 6 | 69 h | intense |
| 1998-11-06 06:00 | 1998-11-08 05:00 | 1998-11-10 13:00 | -149 nT | 7.7 | 104 h | intense |
| 1998-10-19 02:00 | 1998-10-19 13:00 | 1998-10-21 09:00 | -112 nT | 6.7 | 56 h | intense |
| 1998-09-24 04:00 | 1998-09-25 07:00 | 1998-09-27 10:00 | -207 nT | 8.3 | 79 h | intense |
| 1998-08-26 18:00 | 1998-08-27 07:00 | 1998-08-30 04:00 | -155 nT | 8 | 83 h | intense |
| 1998-08-06 06:00 | 1998-08-06 09:00 | 1998-08-07 21:00 | -138 nT | 7.3 | 40 h | intense |
| 1998-06-26 00:00 | 1998-06-26 02:00 | 1998-06-26 06:00 | -101 nT | 6.3 | 7 h | intense |
| 1998-05-02 09:00 | 1998-05-04 03:00 | 1998-05-07 08:00 | -205 nT | 8.7 | 120 h | intense |
| 1998-03-10 15:00 | 1998-03-10 19:00 | 1998-03-12 07:00 | -116 nT | 7.3 | 41 h | intense |
| 1998-02-17 18:00 | 1998-02-17 23:00 | 1998-02-18 18:00 | -100 nT | 6.7 | 25 h | intense |
| 1997-11-22 11:00 | 1997-11-23 05:00 | 1997-11-24 02:00 | -108 nT | 7.3 | 40 h | intense |
| 1997-11-07 00:00 | 1997-11-07 03:00 | 1997-11-07 16:00 | -110 nT | 7 | 17 h | intense |
| 1997-10-09 03:00 | 1997-10-11 01:00 | 1997-10-11 16:00 | -130 nT | 6.3 | 62 h | intense |
| 1997-05-15 05:00 | 1997-05-15 10:00 | 1997-05-15 21:00 | -115 nT | 6.7 | 17 h | intense |
| 1997-04-21 16:00 | 1997-04-21 21:00 | 1997-04-22 06:00 | -107 nT | 5.3 | 15 h | intense |
| 1996-10-22 21:00 | 1996-10-23 02:00 | 1996-10-23 08:00 | -105 nT | 7.3 | 12 h | intense |
| 1995-10-18 20:00 | 1995-10-18 22:00 | 1995-10-21 07:00 | -127 nT | 6.7 | 60 h | intense |
| 1995-09-27 15:00 | 1995-09-27 19:00 | 1995-09-28 19:00 | -108 nT | 7 | 29 h | intense |
| 1995-04-07 03:00 | 1995-04-07 16:00 | 1995-04-10 20:00 | -149 nT | 8 | 90 h | intense |
| 1995-03-26 10:00 | 1995-03-26 15:00 | 1995-03-27 20:00 | -107 nT | 5.7 | 35 h | intense |
| 1994-11-26 08:00 | 1994-11-26 11:00 | 1994-11-27 17:00 | -117 nT | 6.3 | 34 h | intense |
| 1994-10-29 09:00 | 1994-10-29 14:00 | 1994-11-01 03:00 | -123 nT | 7 | 67 h | intense |
| 1994-04-13 20:00 | 1994-04-17 05:00 | 1994-04-18 07:00 | -201 nT | 8.3 | 108 h | intense |
| 1994-04-02 14:00 | 1994-04-04 00:00 | 1994-04-12 01:00 | -111 nT | 7.3 | 228 h | intense |
| 1994-03-07 00:00 | 1994-03-07 20:00 | 1994-03-13 08:00 | -109 nT | 7 | 153 h | intense |
| 1994-02-21 13:00 | 1994-02-22 00:00 | 1994-02-23 18:00 | -144 nT | 7.7 | 54 h | intense |
| 1994-02-05 14:00 | 1994-02-06 16:00 | 1994-02-16 01:00 | -126 nT | 6.3 | 252 h | intense |
| 1993-12-01 15:00 | 1993-12-02 23:00 | 1993-12-04 00:00 | -117 nT | 6.7 | 58 h | intense |
| 1993-11-03 23:00 | 1993-11-04 10:00 | 1993-11-06 15:00 | -119 nT | 6.7 | 65 h | intense |
| 1993-09-12 19:00 | 1993-09-13 03:00 | 1993-09-14 19:00 | -161 nT | 7.7 | 49 h | intense |
| 1993-04-04 14:00 | 1993-04-05 04:00 | 1993-04-06 20:00 | -165 nT | 7.7 | 55 h | intense |
| 1993-03-08 23:00 | 1993-03-09 05:00 | 1993-03-13 19:00 | -137 nT | 6.7 | 117 h | intense |
| 1993-02-17 13:00 | 1993-02-17 14:00 | 1993-02-18 23:00 | -110 nT | 6.7 | 35 h | intense |
| 1992-12-28 14:00 | 1992-12-29 05:00 | 1992-12-30 04:00 | -105 nT | 6.3 | 39 h | intense |
| 1992-09-28 22:00 | 1992-09-29 10:00 | 1992-10-01 11:00 | -115 nT | 6.7 | 62 h | intense |
| 1992-09-17 02:00 | 1992-09-17 07:00 | 1992-09-18 08:00 | -140 nT | 7.3 | 31 h | intense |
Method and sources
Episodes are detected automatically in the hourly Dst index (WDC Kyoto, via OMNI2): an episode starts at the first hour with Dst ≤ −50 nT and ends at the last one, a recovery above the threshold shorter than 24 h staying inside the same episode. Classes after Gonzalez et al. (1994): moderate (−50 to −100 nT), intense (≤ −100 nT), severe (≤ −250 nT). The maximum Kp is taken from 12 h before the start to the end of the episode (GFZ Kp via OMNI2).
Storms before 1963 come from the literature, with a reconstructed Dst and its reference; they are not mixed with the detected catalogue. The catalogue is fully recomputed on each update (app:events:storms).
Reading these data
Dst is a ring-current index measured at low latitudes, not a direct measure of a storm’s energy; values for the latest months are provisional and may change. Reconstructed Dst values before 1957 (1859, 1872, 1921) are orders of magnitude. Kp is a quasi-logarithmic 3-hour index from 0 to 9.
SOURCES OF THIS PAGE
- OMNI2 hourly near-Earth solar wind and geomagnetic indices
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King, J. H., & Papitashvili, N. E. (2005). Solar wind spatial scales in and comparisons of hourly Wind and ACE plasma and magnetic field data. J. Geophys. Res., 110, A02104. OMNI2 data from NASA/GSFC SPDF OMNIWeb; Kp/ap from GFZ Potsdam, Dst from WDC Kyoto, F10.7 from NRC Canada (Penticton).
· doi:10.1029/2004JA010649 · source page ↗
Licence : NASA data, public domain; acknowledge SPDF/OMNIWeb and the index providers · retrieved on Oct 23, 2026 · SHA-256 6de9b217bd4b… - Gonzalez et al. (1994)
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Gonzalez, W. D., Joselyn, J. A., Kamide, Y., Kroehl, H. W., Rostoker, G., Tsurutani, B. T., & Vasyliunas, V. M. (1994). What is a geomagnetic storm? Journal of Geophysical Research, 99(A4), 5771–5792.
· doi:10.1029/93JA02867
Licence : Published literature; cited - Shue et al. (1998)
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Shue, J.-H., Song, P., Russell, C. T., Steinberg, J. T., Chao, J. K., Zastenker, G., et al. (1998). Magnetopause location under extreme solar wind conditions. Journal of Geophysical Research, 103(A8), 17691–17700.
· doi:10.1029/98JA01103
Licence : Published literature; cited - NOAA SWPC estimated planetary K index (3-hourly)
-
NOAA SWPC, Planetary K-index (estimated, 3-hourly, from a network of ground magnetometers).
· source page ↗
Licence : U.S. Government work, public domain · retrieved on Oct 23, 2026 · SHA-256 9f4c8da19cb9… - Cliver et al. (2013)
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Cliver, E. W., & Dietrich, W. F. (2013). The 1859 space weather event revisited: limits of extreme activity. Journal of Space Weather and Space Climate, 3, A31.
· doi:10.1051/swsc/2013053
Licence : Published literature; cited - Hayakawa (2023)
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Hayakawa, H., et al. (2023). The Extreme Space Weather Event of 1872 February: Sunspots, Magnetic Disturbance, and Auroral Displays. The Astrophysical Journal, 959, 23.
· doi:10.3847/1538-4357/acc6cc
Licence : Published literature; cited - Love et al. (2019)
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Love, J. J., Hayakawa, H., & Cliver, E. W. (2019). Intensity and Impact of the New York Railroad Superstorm of May 1921. Space Weather, 17, 1281–1292.
· doi:10.1029/2019SW002250
Licence : Published literature; cited - Boteler (2019)
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Boteler, D. H. (2019). A 21st Century View of the March 1989 Magnetic Storm. Space Weather, 17, 1427–1441.
· doi:10.1029/2019SW002278
Licence : Published literature; cited - Gopalswamy et al. (2005)
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Gopalswamy, N., Barbieri, L., Cliver, E. W., Lu, G., Plunkett, S. P., & Skoug, R. M. (2005). Introduction to violent Sun–Earth connection events of October–November 2003. Journal of Geophysical Research, 110, A09S00.
· doi:10.1029/2005JA011268
Licence : Published literature; cited - Hayakawa (2025)
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Hayakawa, H., et al. (2025). The Solar and Geomagnetic Storms in 2024 May: A Flash Data Report. The Astrophysical Journal, 979, 49.
· doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ad9335
Licence : Published literature; cited