NASA and NOAA are closely monitoring increased solar activity in May 2025. On May 14, 2025, the sun unleashed a powerful X2.7-class solar flare from sunspot region AR4087. This was the strongest solar flare of the year and caused temporary radio blackouts across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
X-class solar flares are the most intense type and can disrupt high-frequency radio signals, GPS systems, and aviation operations, particularly on the sunlit side of the Earth. The May 14 flare caused communication outages lasting nearly ten minutes in some regions.
Solar flares often trigger coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which are large expulsions of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun. While the May 14 flare ejected a CME, it was initially directed towards Mars. However, experts warn that as sunspot AR4087 rotates, Earth could be in the line of fire for future CMEs, potentially causing geomagnetic storms, auroras, and disruptions to power grids and satellites.