By Cliff Potts, CSO, and Editor-in-Chief of WPS News
Baybay City, Leyte, Philippines — January 20, 2026

NOAA Issues a Rare Severe Warning

On January 19, 2026, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), through its Space Weather Prediction Center, confirmed that an S4 (Severe) solar radiation storm was underway. NOAA stated that this event is the largest solar radiation storm observed in more than 20 years, placing it among the most significant space-weather events of the modern satellite era.

An S4 classification indicates intense streams of high-energy protons accelerated by a major solar flare and associated coronal mass ejection (CME). These particles pose risks to satellites, aviation at high latitudes, and radio communications, particularly in polar regions.

When Was the Last Comparable Event?

The last solar radiation storm of comparable strength occurred during the October–November 2003 “Halloween” solar storms. Those events disrupted satellites, damaged transformers in parts of Scandinavia, interfered with GPS signals, and forced airlines to reroute polar flights.

NOAA and independent space-weather records show no solar radiation storm at the S4 level or higher between 2003 and the current 2026 event. That gap alone makes this storm historically notable.

For broader context, the most extreme geomagnetic storm on record remains the 1859 Carrington Event, which occurred long before modern electrical grids or satellite infrastructure existed.

Will This Really Matter?

In the short term, this storm is unlikely to cause catastrophic damage. Modern power grids are better monitored, satellites are hardened against radiation, and operators receive advance warnings that allow risk-mitigation steps.

That said, the storm does matter for three reasons:

  1. Infrastructure Stress Testing
    Events like this reveal weak points in power grids, satellite constellations, GPS systems, and aviation routing.
  2. Solar Cycle Reality Check
    The storm is a reminder that the Sun is not a static background object but an active star capable of influencing life and technology on Earth.
  3. Risk Awareness
    While this storm is manageable, it sits on the same spectrum of phenomena that includes truly civilization-level events. Preparedness depends on understanding frequency, scale, and impact.

What Scientists Are Monitoring

Researchers and operators are closely tracking:

  • High-frequency radio blackouts affecting aviation and maritime traffic
  • Increased satellite drag from atmospheric expansion
  • Geomagnetically induced currents that can affect power transmission systems
  • Radiation exposure levels for astronauts and high-altitude flights

Auroras associated with this storm may also be visible at unusually low latitudes, a visible reminder of otherwise invisible solar dynamics.

Why This Belongs in the Archive

From an archival perspective, this storm marks a clear, timestamped intersection of solar physics, global infrastructure, and human record-keeping.

If future historians examine how early-21st-century societies understood and documented space weather, this event will stand out — not as a catastrophe, but as a reference point. In a thousand years, archives like this will show what we knew, what we monitored, and how seriously we took forces beyond Earth.

For more social commentary, please see Occupy 2.5 at https://Occupy25.com
This article will be archived as part of the ongoing WPS News Monthly Brief Series available through Amazon.

APA References

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2026, January 19). S4 (Severe) solar radiation storm in progress. NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center. https://www.swpc.noaa.gov

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2026, January 20). G4 severe geomagnetic storm watch. NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center. https://www.swpc.noaa.gov

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). 2003 Halloween solar storms. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_Halloween_solar_storms

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Carrington Event. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrington_Event

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