Moderate M3.5 solar flare erupts at 18:15 UTC on April 2, 2026

A moderate M3.5 solar flare erupted at 18:15 UTC on April 2, 2026.

Today’s flares include a C1.5 flare from region 4409 peaking at 07:13 UTC, a C1.3 flare from region 4401 peaking at 07:30 UTC, a C1.8 flare peaking at 09:28 UTC, and a C1.3 flare peaking at 12:30 UTC. No X- or other M-class events are listed among the observed data for April 2, 2026.

In 24 hours to 12:30 UTC on April 2, solar activity was at low levels with C-class flares recorded from regions 4401, 4403, and 4409. The most significant event was a C8.1 flare from region 4409 on April 1 at 19:58 UTC. Several filament eruptions occurred, but no Earth-directed CME was modeled. The bulk of ejecta from the filament eruption associated with a C6.1 flare from region 4403 is expected to deliver a glancing CME blow to Earth early on April 4.

Solar activity is likely to reach moderate (R1/R2 – Minor/Moderate) levels, with a slight chance for X-class (R3 – Strong) flares through April 4, mainly due to the flare potential of regions 4404, 4405, and 4409.

Active sunspot regions presently observed on the Earth-facing solar disk include AR 4399 (S16W65 – Alpha), AR 4401 (N25W70 – Alpha), AR 4402 (N19W57 – Alpha), AR 4403 (N15W26 – Alpha), AR 4404 (N15W07 – Beta), AR 4405 (S27E05 – Beta-Gamma), AR 4406 (N08W02 – Alpha), AR 4408 (N08E24 – Alpha), and AR 4409 (N02E24 – Beta).

Over the past 24 hours, electrons greater than 2 MeV at geosynchronous orbit reached high levels, peaking at 2 587 pfu at 13:45 UTC on April 1, then decreased to normal to moderate levels. The greater than 10 MeV proton flux became slightly enhanced after 01:30 UTC on April 2. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux is expected to be at normal to moderate levels on April 2, returning to high levels April 3 and April 4 due to HSS influence. There is a slight chance that the greater than 10 MeV proton flux will exceed S1 – Minor solar radiation storm levels through April 3, with the possibility increasing on April 4 due to potential CME enhancement.

Solar wind parameters began under CME influence from the March 30 event. After the IP shock at 11:30 UTC on April 1, total field ranged from 3–16 nT and solar wind speed reached 500 km/s before settling near 415 km/s. From 20:05 UTC, a sector boundary crossing shifted the interplanetary magnetic field. After 23:00 UTC, total field climbed to 17 nT with southward Bz reaching -16 nT, and wind speeds increased after 03:00 UTC on April 2. Solar wind conditions are expected to remain enhanced under HSS influences through April 4, with additional perturbation from the April 1 CME possible late on April 3 or early April 4.

The geomagnetic field was quiet to unsettled through 00:00 UTC on April 2, followed by active to G1 – Minor storm conditions due to combined CME and coronal hole high speed stream effects. Unsettled to G1 – Minor or G2 – Moderate storming is expected to persist through the rest of April 2, decrease to unsettled to active on April 3, and then return to unsettled to G1 – Minor with a chance for G2 – Moderate as a glancing CME impact is anticipated early April 4.