Sunspot AR4274 unleashed 3 powerful solar flares in a row

Technology Nov 13, 2025

On November 11, 2025, the Sun fired off its strongest flare of the year—a massive X5.1-class burst from sunspot AR4274.
This sent a surge of X-rays and UV radiation toward Earth, causing major radio blackouts in Africa and Europe.

Two earlier flares also caused radio blackouts

This wasn't the first time AR4274 acted up—two other strong flares on November 9 and 10 also disrupted long-distance radio for about an hour each in sunlit regions by messing with the upper atmosphere.

Earth-bound solar material could trigger geomagnetic storms

A huge burst of solar material from this latest flare is headed our way and is expected to hit Earth between November 12 and 13.
NOAA says we could see a severe geomagnetic storm, with bright auroras lighting up skies much farther south than usual as radiation peaks around November 12-13 before gradually fading.