{"id":256865,"date":"2025-11-11T13:43:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T13:43:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/256865\/"},"modified":"2025-11-11T13:43:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T13:43:11","slug":"sun-unleashes-strongest-solar-flare-of-2025-sparking-radio-blackouts-across-africa-and-europe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/256865\/","title":{"rendered":"Sun unleashes strongest solar flare of 2025, sparking radio blackouts across Africa and Europe"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Check out the ripples from the coronal wave lifting off during the X5.1 solar flare. (Image credit: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center)<\/p>\n

The sun erupted in spectacular fashion this morning (Nov. 11), unleashing a major X5.1-class solar flare, the strongest of 2025 so far and the most intense since October 2024.<\/p>\n

The eruption peaked at 5 a.m. EST (1000 GMT) from sunspot<\/a> AR4274, which has been bursting with activity in recent days. The blast triggered strong (R3-level) radio blackouts across Africa and Europe, disrupting high-frequency radio communications on the sunlit side of Earth<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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This outburst is the latest in a series of intense flares from AR4274, which also produced an X1.7 flare on Nov. 9 and an X1.2 on Nov. 10. Those flares were accompanied by coronal mass ejections<\/a> (CMEs) that could combine and impact Earth overnight tonight, possibly triggering strong (G3) geomagnetic storm conditions and widespread auroras<\/a>, according to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center<\/a>. While analysis of today’s eruption is ongoing, scientists are monitoring coronagraph data to determine whether the X5.1 launched a CME directly toward Earth. With AR4274 in an Earth-facing position, any associated outburst is likely to be heading for us.<\/p>\n

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Wow! The CME has already cleared the occulting disk in CCOR-1 – this is a fast one. Massive coronal dimming in EUV too. Expecting a slightly lopsided full-halo CME. More soon! https:\/\/t.co\/mTLr31TSWk pic.twitter.com\/WoJCNYl7KXNovember 11, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

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Coronagraph imagery shows the CME lifting off in rapid fashion this morning (Nov.11) (Image credit: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center)<\/p>\n

Solar flares are ranked by strength in five classes, A, B, C, M and X, with each step representing a tenfold increase in energy output. X-class solar flares<\/a> are the most powerful kind and the number following the X describes the flare’s intensity. At X5.1, this latest eruption sits toward the top of the scale.<\/p>\n

The eruption sent a surge of X-rays and extreme ultraviolet radiation toward Earth, ionizing the upper atmosphere and causing widespread radio signal degradation. Strong (R3) radio blackouts were recorded over Africa and Europe.<\/p>\n

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Radio blackouts associated with the X5.1 solar flare on Nov. 11. (Image credit: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center)<\/p>\n

This active region has become one of the most prolific solar flare producers of Solar Cycle<\/a> 25, marking a fiery peak in what’s already been an extraordinary week for solar activity.<\/p>\n

This is a developing story and will be updated later today as more data on the flare and associated CME becomes available.<\/p>\n

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