Kp index now
Kp is computed every three hours from magnetometers around the world and runs from 0 to 9 in steps of one third.
This is a probability forecast, not a guarantee. Cloud cover and city light cancel out any good forecast.
Kp
2.33
No storm (Kp below 5)
10/15/26, 9:00 PM UTC
Range
61.7°
Aurora only at very high latitudes.
Forecast
2.67
Oct 16 · Oct 17 · Oct 18
Kp
| When | Kp | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 10/15/26, 9:00 PM UTC | 2.33 | No storm (Kp below 5) |
| 10/15/26, 6:00 PM UTC | 2.33 | No storm (Kp below 5) |
| 10/15/26, 3:00 PM UTC | 3.00 | No storm (Kp below 5) |
| 10/15/26, 12:00 PM UTC | 2.67 | No storm (Kp below 5) |
| 10/15/26, 9:00 AM UTC | 3.00 | No storm (Kp below 5) |
| 10/15/26, 6:00 AM UTC | 1.33 | No storm (Kp below 5) |
| 10/15/26, 3:00 AM UTC | 0.67 | No storm (Kp below 5) |
| 10/15/26, 12:00 AM UTC | 2.00 | No storm (Kp below 5) |
| 10/14/26, 9:00 PM UTC | 2.67 | No storm (Kp below 5) |
| 10/14/26, 6:00 PM UTC | 2.67 | No storm (Kp below 5) |
| 10/14/26, 3:00 PM UTC | 2.00 | No storm (Kp below 5) |
| 10/14/26, 12:00 PM UTC | 2.00 | No storm (Kp below 5) |
| 10/14/26, 9:00 AM UTC | 2.33 | No storm (Kp below 5) |
| 10/14/26, 6:00 AM UTC | 1.67 | No storm (Kp below 5) |
| 10/14/26, 3:00 AM UTC | 3.33 | No storm (Kp below 5) |
| 10/14/26, 12:00 AM UTC | 2.33 | No storm (Kp below 5) |
| 10/13/26, 9:00 PM UTC | 1.33 | No storm (Kp below 5) |
| 10/13/26, 6:00 PM UTC | 3.00 | No storm (Kp below 5) |
| 10/13/26, 3:00 PM UTC | 2.33 | No storm (Kp below 5) |
| 10/13/26, 12:00 PM UTC | 3.00 | No storm (Kp below 5) |
| 10/13/26, 9:00 AM UTC | 3.00 | No storm (Kp below 5) |
| 10/13/26, 6:00 AM UTC | 2.00 | No storm (Kp below 5) |
| 10/13/26, 3:00 AM UTC | 3.33 | No storm (Kp below 5) |
| 10/13/26, 12:00 AM UTC | 3.33 | No storm (Kp below 5) |
Forecast
| Hour | Oct 16 | Oct 17 | Oct 18 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00-03UT | 2.33 | 1.67 | 1.67 |
| 03-06UT | 2.67 | 1.67 | 1.67 |
| 06-09UT | 2.00 | 1.33 | 1.33 |
| 09-12UT | 1.67 | 1.33 | 1.33 |
| 12-15UT | 1.67 | 1.33 | 1.33 |
| 15-18UT | 2.00 | 1.33 | 1.33 |
| 18-21UT | 2.00 | 1.33 | 1.33 |
| 21-00UT | 2.67 | 1.67 | 1.67 |
G1–G5
| Range | What it means | lat. |
|---|---|---|
| No storm (Kp below 5) | Aurora only at very high latitudes. | 58.3° |
| G1 — Minor (Kp 5) | Aurora visible in northern Scandinavia, Alaska and Canada. | 56.3° |
| G2 — Moderate (Kp 6) | Aurora may reach southern Norway, Scotland and the northern US. | 54.2° |
| G3 — Strong (Kp 7) | Aurora seen in Germany, Poland and the central US. | 52.2° |
| G4 — Severe (Kp 8) | Aurora at mid latitudes; power grid and GPS problems. | 50.1° |
| G5 — Extreme (Kp 9) | Aurora near the tropics; real risk to grids and satellites. | 48.1° |
Data from 10/16/26, 1:27 AM UTC
- NOAA Space Weather Prediction CenterLicence: Domínio público (dado federal dos EUA) · Credit: NOAA / SWPCEsta página não é um serviço da NOAA e não tem endosso da NOAA.
How to read these numbers
Above Kp 5 NOAA declares a geomagnetic storm and switches to the G scale, G1 to G5. At G4 and G5 there are practical effects: GPS positioning error, high frequency radio trouble and induced currents in high latitude power grids.
For aurora hunting, Kp tells you how far the auroral oval slides equatorward in geomagnetic latitude. The SWPC visibility table runs from 66.5 degrees at Kp 0 down to 48.1 degrees at Kp 9.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Kp 4 give aurora?
- In northern Norway, Iceland, Alaska and northern Canada, yes, often. At mid latitudes, no.
- Is a high Kp dangerous?
- Not to people. The risk is to infrastructure: power grids, satellites and polar aviation.