Major X2.7 solar flare erupts from Active Region 4087
A major solar flare measuring X2.7 erupted from Active Region 4087 at 08:19 UTC on May 14, 2025. The event began at 08:04 and ended at 08:31 UTC. This is the 8th X-class solar flare of the year and the strongest to date. It currently ranks as the 15th most powerful flare of Solar Cycle 25, exceeding the X2.56 event observed on February 16, 2024. This is also the second X-class flare within the past 24 hours, following an X1.2 flare at 15:38 UTC on May 14 from a region near the Sun’s west limb.
x2.7 solar flare on May 14, 2025. Image credit: NASA SDO/AIA 304
A coronal mass ejection (CME) was produced by the flare, but its trajectory is not expected to be Earth-directed. The source region is currently located near the eastern limb, limiting geoeffective potential. This may change in the coming days as the region rotates further into an Earth-facing position.
A 10cm Radio Burst (TenFlare), lasting 1 minute with a peak flux of 390 sfu, was recorded during the flare. This indicates a short-duration electromagnetic burst at the 10 cm wavelength, more than double the baseline radio background. Such bursts can produce significant radio noise, potentially affecting radar, GPS, and satellite communication systems, although the interference is typically short-lived.
The same region produced an M5.4 solar flare at 03:25 UTC and an M1.2 at 07:45 UTC today.
Radio frequencies were forecast to be most degraded over the Middle East and parts of the Indian Ocean at the time of the flare, with shortwave radio blackouts possible across sunlit regions in that sector.
A solar filament that erupted in the northern hemisphere around 08:00 UTC on May 13 was modeled and determined to have the potential for a glancing blow on May 17. However, its impacts on Earth are expected to be minimal as most of the ejecta will pass above our planet, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC).
Today’s X2.7 is the second X-class solar flare over the past 24 hours, after X1.2 at 15:38 UTC on May 14 from a departing region located on the west limb of the Sun. While this event produced a CME, it was not determined as Earth-directed.
The greater than 10 MeV proton flux increased following the X1.2 flare but remained below the 10 MeV Warning threshold.
X2.7 on May 14 marks the 8th X-class flare of the year and the strongest so far. It now ranks as the 15th most powerful flare of Solar Cycle 25, surpassing the X2.56 event observed on February 16, 2024.
More than 50 X-class flares have been recorded during Solar Cycle 25, which began in December 2019. The strongest so far was an X9.0 on October 3, 2024, followed by X8.79 on May 14, 2024, and X7.1 on October 1, 2024.
May 2024 remains the most flare-active month of the cycle, with 12 X-class events, including four exceeding X4.5. Activity during this period caused a G5 – Extreme geomagnetic storm, the most intense in the past 20 years.
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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