Major X1.4 solar flare erupts from AR 4405, CME impact expected late March 31
A major solar flare measuring X1.4 at its peak erupted from Active Region 4405 at 03:19 UTC on March 30, 2026. The event started at 02:47 and ended at 03:44 UTC. It produced a large partial-halo CME, with a glancing blow to Earth expected around 18:00 UTC on March 31.
X1.4 solar flare on March 30, 2026. Credit: NASA/SDO AIA 304, The Watchers
A Type II Radio Emission with an estimated velocity of 1 872 km/s was associated with the event, suggesting a coronal mass ejection (CME) was produced.
Coronagraph imagery subsequently confirmed a very large, wide CME propagating eastward. A partial Earth-directed component remains possible. Further analysis is underway.
A 10cm Radio Burst (Tenflare) with a peak flux of 1 800 sfu was detected from 02:54 to 03:42 UTC. A 10cm radio burst indicates that the electromagnetic burst associated with a solar flare at the 10cm wavelength was double or greater than the initial 10cm radio background. This can be indicative of significant radio noise in association with a solar flare.
This noise is generally short-lived but can cause interference for sensitive receivers, including radar, GPS, and satellite communications.
Radio frequencies were expected to be most degraded across East Asia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia, and the western Pacific.
Solar activity was at low levels in 24 hours to 00:30 UTC today, with only C-class flaring. Solar wind parameters were indicative of a solar sector boundary crossing, with the total field increasing from 6 nT to a peak of 13 nT.
The Bz component underwent a few early southward deflections reaching -6 nT, but was mostly near neutral or northward after. Solar wind speeds increased from near 350 km/s to near 450 km/s by 00:30 UTC. Phi became positive at approximately 14:12 UTC on March 29.
Additional enhancements due to the corotating interaction region (CIR) and coronal hole high speed stream (CH HSS) influences are expected on March 30 and continuing through March 31, with near ambient-like conditions returning by the end of April 1.
The geomagnetic field was at quiet to active levels. G1 – Minor geomagnetic storming is forecast for March 30 due to recurrent positive polarity CH HSS effects. Unsettled to active conditions are then expected to persist into March 31, before giving way to quiet to unsettled levels as HSS effects wane. This forecast does not account for any possible geomagnetic effects from today’s X1.4 flare.
Update
12:52 UTC, March 30
A partial-halo CMe was observed in LASCO C2 imagery beginning at 03:12 UTC, and a glancing blow to Earth is expected in the latter half of March 31.
As a result, SWPC has issued a G2 – Moderate geomagnetic storm watch for March 31. Active to G1 – Minor levels are expected into April 1 due to continued CH HSS and CME effects.
References:
1 Forecast Discussion – NOAA/SPWC – Issued at 00:30 UTC on March 30, 2026
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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