NOAA SEC Space Weather Outlook #03- 34

Official Space Weather Advisory issued by NOAA Space Environment Center
Boulder, Colorado, USA

SPACE WEATHER ADVISORY OUTLOOK #03- 34
2003 August 26 at 10:57 a.m. MDT (2003 August 26 1657 UTC)

**** SPACE WEATHER OUTLOOK ****

Summary For August 18-24

Space weather during the week reached strong levels. On August 18th, a
shock wave impacted earth and caused a category G3 (strong) geomagnetic
storm. The storm decreased to a category G2 (moderate) on August 19th
and ended by midday on August 19th. A second category G3 (strong)
geomagnetic storm began on August 21st and lasted through August 24th.
The storm decreased to a category G2 (moderate) level storm on August
22nd but returned to category G3 levels on August 23rd. By August 24th
the geomagnetic storm was ending and only reached category G1 (minor)
levels. The geomagnetic storm was cause by high speed solar winds from
a moderate sized coronal hole on the sun. Radio blackouts reached R1
(minor) levels this week due to two energetic solar flares at 1:59 A.M.
MDT (0759 UTC) and 4:06 A.M. MDT (1006 UTC) on August 19th. For a list
of adverse system effects related to space weather storms, please refer
to the NOAA Space Weather Scales.

Outlook For August 27-September 2

Space weather for the next week may reach minor levels. There is a
slight chance of a category R1 radio blackout during the week. Toward
the end of the week a coronal hole with its high speed solar winds may
produce category G1 geomagnetic storming.

Data used to provide space weather services are contributed by NOAA,
USAF, NASA, NSF, USGS, the International Space Environment Services
and other observatories, universities, and institutions. For more
information, including email services, see SEC’s Space Weather
Advisories Web site http://sec.noaa.gov/advisories or (303) 497-5127.
The NOAA Public Affairs contact is Barbara McGehan at
Barbara.McGehan@noaa.gov or (303) 497-6288.