The number of days with magnetic storms in 2025 was the highest in 10 years

The number of days with magnetic storms in 2025 was the highest in the last 10 years. This was announced on December 24 by the Laboratory of Solar Astronomy at the Institute of Space Research (IKI) of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

"The number of days with magnetic storms in 2025 was the highest in 10 years. The total number of geomagnetically disturbed days has reached a 20-year maximum," the laboratory's Telegram channel says.

According to the IKI RAS, for 358 days since the beginning of the year, geomagnetic disturbances were registered in 69 cases, which is significantly higher than in 2024 (44 days) and comparable to the record values of 2015-2016. The total number of geomagnetically disturbed days, when the Kp index (indicator of geomagnetic activity) reached its maximum values, was 164 days, which is 75% more than last year. This is the highest number since 2005, when 169 such days were recorded.

Scientists cite an unusually large number of coronal holes in the Sun as the main reason for the increase in activity, the massive formation of which began in the first months of 2025. These structures, which are sources of high-speed solar wind flows, completely dominated the factors causing magnetic storms this year.

Experts do not predict a rapid decrease in solar activity: At least the first months of 2026 are likely to continue to be influenced by coronal holes, which will maintain an increased number of geomagnetic disturbances. At the same time, the absolute record of the 21st century remains in 2003, when 154 days with magnetic storms were recorded, while at least in 2009 there were only four days for the whole year.

The expert spoke about the decline in geomagnetic activity

Earlier, on December 8, the Laboratory of Solar Astronomy of the IKI RAS and the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences reported that a rare "black" flash occurred on the Sun at night. It was noted that the explosion tore apart and scattered a cloud of dense cold hydrogen over the Sun at a distance of about 1 million km.

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