A new surge in solar activity recorded over the weekend has set a new record for the 2025–2026 period regarding the number of solar flares in a single day. Yesterday, July 5, saw 24 flares of category C or higher recorded in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), and 26 flares when calculated according to Moscow time. In both instances, this represents the highest figure seen in the last two years.

For the most part, current solar events are of purely scientific interest. Large sunspot groups—including Group No. 4478, the second-largest in a decade—have shifted to the west and will rotate out of view to the far side of the Sun as early as tomorrow. From this position, they are virtually incapable of affecting Earth (leaving a tiny margin for miracles). X-ray flux levels from the Sun, which have been elevated tenfold over the past week, are expected to begin subsiding today; unless new active regions form, the star will likely return to a dormant state by mid-week. That said, these active centers may still have time for a couple of spectacular farewell explosions.

Calculations suggest that the sunspot groups currently rotating to the far side should reappear on the Earth-facing side in late July, after the Sun completes half a rotation on its axis. However, the likelihood of them surviving those two weeks is slim.

The magnetic storm observed on Saturday—the second strongest of the year—has ended. Geomagnetic indices and solar wind parameters have returned to normal levels.

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Laboratory of Solar Astronomy, SRI RAS

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