At https://phys.org/news/2025-05-biggest-geomagnetic-storm-years-nasa.html … on May 10th, 2024, a year ago, a G5 magnetic storm struck the eartt system. This is said to be the biggest geomagnetic storm for 20 years – in the early 2000s. The Sun was extremely active in the first decade of the 21st century and spring in the UK in 2006 was a lot like it is this year, 2025. We have had a recent cannibal CME. One CME riding on the back of another one – creating a lot of energy in the system. The reference above, is to a single CME, a G5 intensity on the scale. It is now known as the Gannon Storm. At the time it did not cause any drastic change but a year later and NASA has assessed its impact – with some interesting results. At the surface of the planet some high voltage lines tripped and fransformers overheated. GPS guided tractors veered off course in some localities. Transatlantic flights changed course in order to avoid higher radiation levels and communications and navigation equipment also had some problems – but no big deal.
During Gannon, Earth’s upper atmosphere, the Thermosphere, heated to an unusually high temperature. NASA recorded the atmosphere as expanding in response to the input – as a result of heat and energy pumped into the earth system. In orbit, the expanded atmosphere increased drag on thousands of satellites. Gannon also changed the structure of the ionosphere. The CME rocked the magnetosphere when it hit the first defence of the earth system. It created the largest electrical current there for 20 years. Aurora were seen around the globe – even in places where they are rare.
The full paper is in Scientific Reports – https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JA033504 ..
See also https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/05/suns-massive-600000-mile-eruption/ … for a CME that erupted a few days ago. A spike of solar wind could be seen on the edge of the Sun, estimated at 600,000 miles high. It is not Earth facing but it is expected to swamp Mars. It is thought to be the equivalent in power to that of Gannon.