Geomagnetic activity forecast

[ian33]

49534
...likely weather disturbance
aurora watch

[Sue (Ayt)]

I subscribe to NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center service where they send "alerts, warnings, watches, forecasts, and summaries via email within moments of issue."
https://pss.swpc.noaa.gov/ProductSubscriptionService/LoginWebForm.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fProductSubscriptionService%2f

They rarely send warning emails, but I just now rec'd this email:

Space Weather Message Code: WARK07
Serial Number: 83
Issue Time: 2022 Sep 27 0218 UTC

WARNING: Geomagnetic K-index of 7 or greater expected
Valid From: 2022 Sep 27 0217 UTC
Valid To: 2022 Sep 27 0900 UTC
Warning Condition: Onset
NOAA Scale: G3 or greater - Strong to Extreme

NOAA Space Weather Scale descriptions can be found at
www.swpc.noaa.gov/noaa-scales-explanation

Potential Impacts: Area of impact primarily poleward of 50 degrees Geomagnetic Latitude.
Induced Currents - Power system voltage irregularities possible, false alarms may be triggered on some protection devices.
Spacecraft - Systems may experience surface charging; increased drag on low Earth-orbit satellites and orientation problems may occur.
Navigation - Intermittent satellite navigation (GPS) problems, including loss-of-lock and increased range error may occur.
Radio - HF (high frequency) radio may be intermittent.
Aurora - Aurora may be seen as low as Pennsylvania to Iowa to Oregon.
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49659
(I don't fully understand these things, but K-7 seems rather alarming)

[pyrangello]

So the k index is a gauge for how far south the reactions may be of an interplanetary storm, so for example a k7 may see the northern lights in Ohio but a k9 you will see them further south in st Louis. Usually what accompanies the higher k is more disruptive space stuff like sun spots blowing up. Yesterday we had 2 cme,s side swipe the earth that nobody was expecting. Great huh, all this technology and were still running around with blinders on.sunspots blowing up = higher k index s = more intense auroras .