Boulder, CO — A powerful solar flare erupted from Region 3842 on Thursday, reaching an X9.0 at 1218 UTC. The event, categorized as an R3 (strong) flare, has caused significant disruptions to GPS and high-frequency (HF) radio communications. If you’re experiencing issues with your GPS today, you’re not alone.
According to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, solar flares of this magnitude can lead to immediate signal loss over large areas, impacting HF communication bands that span much of Earth’s sunlit regions. GPS users and radio operators may experience loss of contact or significant signal degradation for a few minutes to several hours.
This flare, one of the most intense in recent years, is part of an active solar cycle. Though solar flares are not uncommon, those of this strength can cause notable effects on everyday technologies. Experts warn that users relying on GPS for navigation or radio communication could face outages or disruptions.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) continues to monitor the situation. Users are advised to stay updated on solar weather alerts for any further impacts throughout the day.
