Moscow, October 9, 2026, 2:27 PM — Regnum News Agency. Three clouds of solar plasma are moving toward Earth, the first of which will reach the planet after 6:00 PM Moscow time. This was reported on October 9 by the Solar Astronomy Laboratory of the Space Research Institute (IKI) of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
"The first of the clouds, ejected on Tuesday, October 6, during a solar flare of class M1.4, will arrive at Earth today after 6:00 PM Moscow time, causing magnetic storms of level G2 and, presumably, triggering intense auroras at latitudes of 55–60 degrees and higher," the laboratory's website said.
Scientists indicated that two other plasma clouds, which left the Sun on October 7 and 8, will merge en route to Earth and jointly impact the planet on October 11 at midday. After the plasma clouds reach Earth, solar activity will decline sharply, the experts added.
The first magnetic storm of the fall occurred on September 8th. The event was weak, classified as Category 1 on a five-point scale. The disturbances were associated with a plasma cloud ejected by the Sun.
Anton Reva, a senior researcher at the Space Plasma Physics Department at the Russian Academy of Sciences' Space Research Institute, previously told Regnum that the next solar cycle maximum is expected in 2036–2038. This period typically sees the greatest number of magnetic storms. The current cycle's maximum was recorded in 2025.
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Scientist Reva warned of two magnetic storms at the end of the week.
Moscow, October 9, 2026, 5:30 PM — Regnum News Agency. A magnetic storm will begin on Earth on the evening of October 9, and another one is expected on Sunday. Both will be mild. Anton Reva, a senior researcher in the Space Plasma Physics Department at the Russian Academy of Sciences' Space Research Institute, spoke with Regnum News Agency on Friday.
According to the scientist, a magnetic storm will hit Earth on October 9. It will begin after 6 p.m. and last until 3 a.m. Its intensity will be slightly above level one (minimum) on a five-point scale.
"The amplitude will be somewhere around G1–G2, meaning it's a minor magnetic storm. Nothing serious is to be expected. The plasma cloud should reach us around evening. After that, there won't be any magnetic storms throughout Saturday; conditions will be calm," Reva noted.
A magnetic storm expected on the night of October 9-10 is linked to a solar flare that occurred on Wednesday. On Thursday, October 8, experts recorded another plasma ejection, which could trigger another magnetic storm within the week.
"Yesterday there was a moderate solar flare. The cloud is expected to reach us on Sunday, October 11, and another minor magnetic storm—around G1—will occur. There won't be any major magnetic storms, but two minor storms of G1–G2 magnitude are possible," Reva explained.
The scientist added that geomagnetic storms associated with the arrival of a plasma cloud toward Earth last five to six hours. The delay from the flare to the magnetic storm is approximately two days.
Earlier, meteorologist Mikhail Leus explained that the October 9 magnetic storm was caused by several M-level flares, the second-lowest possible intensity. Two plasma clouds reached Earth on Friday. By October 11, the planet's geomagnetic field should return to a calm state.