The sun has recently emitted its most powerful solar flare of the year, resulting in significant radio blackouts across various regions of the globe.

This event occurred just after 11:30 AM ET on Tuesday, when an X-class solar flare—considered the most intense category—was released from a newly forming sunspot designated as AR4087.

Sunspots are characterized as cooler, darker areas on the sun’s surface where the magnetic field strength is significantly amplified compared to surrounding regions.

These zones of magnetic activity can produce bursts of plasma known as solar flares. When a flare is sufficiently strong and directed toward Earth, it can release radiation toward our planet.

Upon reaching the upper layers of Earth’s atmosphere, these charged particles can instigate long-lasting radiation storms that potentially lead to radio disruptions, power grid failures, and satellite damage.

According to The Daily Mail, the radiation storm triggered by the solar flare on Tuesday resulted in pronounced radio blackouts primarily throughout Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

X-class solar flares are infrequent phenomena and are categorized by five classes: A, B, C, M, and X, with A representing the lowest intensity and X the highest.

Each flare is further ranked on a scale of one to nine, with one being the weakest and nine the strongest. The Tuesday flare was classified as an X2.7, indicating it was at the lower end of the most powerful category.

The flare emitted X-rays and extreme ultraviolet radiation at the speed of light, which caused rapid ionization in the upper atmosphere.

This influx of radiation separated electrons from molecules in the outermost atmospheric layer, creating an electrically charged environment.

The resulting charge led to disruptions in high-frequency radio signals, affecting communication for radio operators located in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East—the regions facing the sun at the time of the flare.

Experts anticipate that additional solar flares may occur throughout the following week as sunspot AR4087 continues its rotation to face Earth directly.

Aurora chaser Vincent Ledvina commented on X, noting the escalating activity associated with this region, and highlighted that following the X-class flare, the sunspot generated another significant energy burst in the form of an M5.3 solar flare.

He remarked on the uncertainty of what this active region might produce in the coming days.