:Issued: 2012 Mar 09 1058 UTC
roduct: documentation at
http://www.sidc.be/products/presto
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# FAST WARNING 'PRESTO' MESSAGE from the SIDC (RWC-Belgium) #
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SOHO/LASCO detected a full halo CME in association with the M6.3 flare
in Catania sunspot group 65 (NOAA AR 1429) this morning. The CME first
appeared in the LASCO C2 field of view at 04:14 UT and had a speed
around 750 km/s. We expect the CME arrival at the Earth late on March 11
- early on March 12. An evaluation of the possible erupting flux rope
orientation on the basis of HMI photospheric magnetograms and AIA images
of the post-eruption arcade gives the south-east-north (SEN,
left-handed) configuration. Due to the position of the CME source region
close to the solar central meridian, we expect a nearly central
encounter of the resulting ICME, which will probably be a magnetic cloud
with leading southward field. A strong geomagnetic storm (K = 7 or
higher) is probable.