Solar storm forecast Hamilton, Waikato Region
Space weather today in Hamilton, Waikato Region
Updated
G1 minor geomagnetic storm forecast. Aurora in Hamilton, Waikato Region: unlikely tonight (Kp 3.7 forecast; Hamilton, Waikato Region needs an extreme Kp 9 storm) It is daytime in Hamilton, Waikato Region, so a strong solar flare right now would affect HF radio here.
Space weather in Hamilton, Waikato Region today
G1 minor geomagnetic storm forecast (NOAA, 2026-11-06 03:27 UTC). The planetary Kp index is 2 now and forecast to peak at Kp 5 in the next 24 hours. NOAA gives a 35% chance of R1–R2 radio blackouts today, 10% for R3 or stronger, and 5% for a solar radiation storm.
Radio: solar flares only black out HF radio on the half of Earth facing the Sun. The Sun is 39° above the horizon in Hamilton, Waikato Region now (4:34 pm local time). The biggest flare in the past 24 hours was M3.5 at 7:33 am local time, while Hamilton, Waikato Region was in daylight, so HF radio here may have faded briefly. HF radio is mainly hit by daytime solar flares (radio blackouts), not by geomagnetic storms.
GPS and power: GPS is normally unaffected; only severe G4–G5 storms cause noticeable errors here. Power grid effects are very unlikely at this latitude.
Is there a solar storm today, and does it reach Hamilton, Waikato Region, New Zealand? Live NOAA space weather, translated for Hamilton, Waikato Region: geomagnetic storms, solar flares and radio blackouts, GPS effects and tonight's aurora chance. Times are local (Pacific/Auckland).
- Geomagnetic storm
- none now G1 minor forecast today
- Kp now
- 2 max 5 next 24 h (G1 minor storm)
- Radio blackout
- none now Hamilton, Waikato Region is on the sunlit side
- Solar radiation storm
- none now NOAA S scale
- Kp for aurora at Hamilton, Waikato Region
- 9 (extreme storms only) geomagnetic latitude 40.7° S
- Solar wind speed
- 316 km/s slow, normal
- Magnetic field Bz
- 1 nT north: quiet
- Biggest flare, past 24 h
- M3.5 Fri 7:33 am
Aurora chance tonight in Hamilton, Waikato Region
Unlikely tonight (Kp 3.7 forecast; Hamilton, Waikato Region needs an extreme Kp 9 storm). At 40.7° S geomagnetic, Hamilton, Waikato Region is far from the auroral oval; only extreme Kp 9 (G5) storms such as May 2024 bring the aurora into view, mostly to cameras.
At the forecast Kp 5, the aurora's visible edge stays about 1,394 km south of Hamilton, Waikato Region.
| Day (UTC) | Max Kp | Level | Aurora possible at Hamilton, Waikato Region? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-11-06 | 4.7 | active | No |
| 2026-11-07 | 5 | G1 minor storm | No |
| 2026-11-08 | 5 | G1 minor storm | No |
NOAA 3-day space weather forecast
Chances that NOAA issues each level somewhere on Earth. Radio blackouts only affect the sunlit side; geomagnetic storms are global but strongest near the poles.
| Day (UTC) | Radio blackout R1–R2 | Radio blackout R3+ | Solar radiation storm S1+ | Geomagnetic storm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-11-06 | 35% | 10% | 5% | G1 minor |
| 2026-11-07 | 35% | 10% | 5% | G1 minor |
| 2026-11-08 | 35% | 10% | 5% | G1 minor |
Strongest solar flares this week
C-class and stronger flares from the past 7 days, local time in Hamilton, Waikato Region.
- M3.5 flare peak Fri 7:33 am, R1 minor radio blackout
- C5.6 flare peak Fri 3:51 pm
- C2.9 flare peak Fri 10:34 am
- C2.5 flare peak Fri 1:24 pm
- C2.2 flare peak Thu 6:34 am
- C1.3 flare peak Fri 11:31 am
- C1.2 flare peak Fri 11:21 am
- C1.2 flare peak Wed 7:54 pm
- C1.1 flare peak Fri 6:00 am
- C1.1 flare peak Wed 11:39 am
What the scales mean
Space weather is the Sun's effect on Earth. NOAA rates it on three 1–5 scales. R (radio blackouts) comes from solar flares: X-rays reach Earth in 8 minutes and disrupt HF radio on the sunlit side for minutes to hours. S (solar radiation storms) comes from energetic protons a few hours later, a hazard for satellites, polar flights and astronauts. G (geomagnetic storms) comes 1–3 days after a coronal mass ejection or a fast solar-wind stream hits the magnetic field: it drives the aurora and can upset GPS, HF radio and power grids.
The Kp index (0–9) measures geomagnetic activity in 3-hour blocks: Kp 5 is a G1 storm, Kp 6 G2, Kp 7 G3, Kp 8 G4 and Kp 9 G5. Flares are classed A, B, C, M and X by peak X-ray brightness, each class ten times the one before; M1 flares cause R1 blackouts and X1 flares R3.
Space weather for nearby cities
More sky pages
Guides
Data: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, GOES X-ray flux (NOAA), Open-Meteo (cloud cover), GeoNames.