Overview
- NASA and NOAA reported an X2.4 flare late April 23 and an X2.5 flare early April 24 from active region AR4419, which erupted about seven hours apart.
- The blasts sent X-rays and extreme ultraviolet light that overcharged the ionosphere’s lower D-layer, cutting high‑frequency radio links on the sunlit side of Earth.
- Outages were logged across parts of the Pacific, Australia, and East Asia as signals faded or dropped for aviation, maritime operators, emergency services, and amateur radio users.
- Analysts say AR4419 sits near the Sun’s western limb, which lowers the odds of a direct CME hit, and there is no confirmed geomagnetic storm yet as tracks are still under review.
- X-class flares mark the top tier of solar events, yet these X2.4 and X2.5 bursts are far from record strength; agencies advise watching NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center for potential satellite, GPS, power-grid effects and possible auroras if a glancing blow occurs.