Moderate M1.8 solar flare erupts at 01:33 UTC on May 4, 2026

A moderate M1.8 solar flare erupted at 01:33 UTC on May 4, 2026.

Today’s flare activity includes a C3.6 event which peaked at 07:08 UTC from solar region 4424. No X- or M-class flares have been confirmed in the official event listings for May 4, 2026.

In 24 hours to 00:30 UTC on May 4, solar activity was at low levels with the largest flare being a minor C3.6 event. No Earth-directed coronal mass ejections were observed during this period.

Solar activity is expected to remain at low levels with a chance for moderate (M-class) flares between May 4 and 6.

Active sunspot regions presently observed on the Earth-facing solar disk include AR 4423 (S10W97 – Alpha), AR 4424 (N17W78 – Beta), AR 4425 (N05W48 – Beta), AR 4428 (S24W51 – Beta), AR 4429 (S04W07 – Beta), AR 4430 (N17W58 – Alpha), AR 4431 (S16E24 – Beta), AR 4432 (N12E40 – Beta), and AR 4433 (S16E68 – Beta).

Over the past 24 hours, the greater than 2 MeV electron flux was at normal to moderate levels, while the greater than 10 MeV proton flux remained at background levels. These conditions are expected to persist through May 6, 2026.

Solar wind parameters reflected waning negative polarity coronal hole high-speed stream influences, with magnetic field strengths peaking at 6 nT and wind speeds ranging from approximately 400 to 450 km/s. This mildly enhanced solar wind environment is expected to slowly diminish over the coming days.

The geomagnetic field was at quiet to unsettled levels in response to waning coronal hole high-speed stream effects and is expected to remain at similar levels as these influences continue to decrease through May 6, 2026.