G1 – Minor Geomagnetic Storm Watch issued for October 2, 2026

A G1 – Minor Geomagnetic Storm Watch was issued for October 2, 2026. The alert was released by NOAA SWPC at 13:01 UTC on September 29, 2026, and supersedes any previously existing geomagnetic storm watches. This Watch indicates that minor geomagnetic storm conditions (G1) are predicted to occur on October 2, 2026, while conditions on September 30 and October 1 are expected to remain below G1 levels.

Potential impacts from the predicted G1 – Minor Geomagnetic Storm are expected primarily in areas poleward of 60 degrees geomagnetic latitude. Weak power grid fluctuations can occur in these regions. Minor impacts on satellite operations are possible. Additionally, aurora may become visible at high latitudes, potentially extending to the northern tier of the United States, including locations such as northern Michigan and Maine.

The triggering event for this Watch is an inbound coronal mass ejection (CME) associated with a filament eruption that was observed near 28/1300 UTC, centered near N04W44. The CME exhibited two main components, first detected in LASCO C2 imagery at 28/1448 UTC and 28/1524 UTC, with modeling indicating a likely arrival near Earth on October 2, 2026.