Planetary K index
These are the last rows of NOAA SWPC’s 1-minute planetary K file, oldest of this slice first. The column names follow the keys in the file (Kp, a_running, station_count) when those keys exist. This is the estimated planetary K index SWPC publishes, not a local magnetometer at a single city.
SWPC sends three fields on each row. kp is the agency’s own token (this file uses values such as 0P and 2M). estimated_kp and kp_index are the other two numbers in the same row. This page does not translate the token.
| Time tag | kp | estimated_kp | kp_index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-11-03T07:56:00 | 1P | 1.33 | 1 |
| 2026-11-03T07:57:00 | 1P | 1.33 | 1 |
| 2026-11-03T07:58:00 | 1P | 1.33 | 1 |
| 2026-11-03T07:59:00 | 1P | 1.33 | 1 |
| 2026-11-03T08:00:00 | 1P | 1.33 | 1 |
| 2026-11-03T08:01:00 | 1P | 1.33 | 1 |
| 2026-11-03T08:02:00 | 1P | 1.33 | 1 |
| 2026-11-03T08:03:00 | 1P | 1.33 | 1 |
| 2026-11-03T08:04:00 | 1P | 1.33 | 1 |
| 2026-11-03T08:05:00 | 1P | 1.33 | 1 |
| 2026-11-03T08:06:00 | 1Z | 1.0 | 1 |
| 2026-11-03T08:07:00 | 1Z | 1.0 | 1 |
Planetary K index product
A second SWPC file, the planetary K index product, is shown so a reader can see the value SWPC put in that product as well. Empty cells mean that key was not in the row.
| Time | Kp | Companion value | Scale field |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-11-02T06:00:00 | 3.0 | 15 | — |
| 2026-11-02T09:00:00 | 2.33 | 9 | — |
| 2026-11-02T12:00:00 | 1.67 | 6 | — |
| 2026-11-02T15:00:00 | 1.67 | 6 | — |
| 2026-11-02T18:00:00 | 1.0 | 4 | — |
| 2026-11-02T21:00:00 | 0.33 | 2 | — |
| 2026-11-03T00:00:00 | 0.67 | 3 | — |
| 2026-11-03T03:00:00 | 1.67 | 6 | — |
NOAA scales file
SWPC’s scales file is a set of day keys. Key 0 is the block dated today in the file; other keys are the neighbouring days SWPC included. R, S and G are printed as the Scale and Text strings in that block. A dash means both were empty (some days carry probabilities instead of a scale). What the letters mean is on SWPC’s scales page, linked below, and is not restated here.
| Day key | Date | Time | R scale and text | S scale and text | G scale and text |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -1 | 2026-11-02 | 08:11:00 | 0 none | 0 none | 0 none |
| 0 | 2026-11-03 | 08:11:00 | 0 none | 0 none | 0 none |
| 1 | 2026-11-03 | 08:11:00 | — | — | 0 none |
| 2 | 2026-11-04 | 00:00:00 | — | — | 0 none |
| 3 | 2026-11-05 | 00:00:00 | — | — | 0 none |
GOES X-ray flares
Flares whose max or begin time falls in the last 24 hours. The class and times are the fields SWPC put on the flare.
| Max class | Time used | Begin | End | Satellite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B4.2 | 2 Nov 2026, 16:44 UTC | 2026-11-02T16:37:00Z | 2026-11-02T16:51:00Z | 18 |
| B5.6 | 2 Nov 2026, 21:04 UTC | 2026-11-02T20:56:00Z | 2026-11-02T21:11:00Z | 18 |
| B8.0 | 2 Nov 2026, 22:08 UTC | 2026-11-02T21:59:00Z | 2026-11-02T22:17:00Z | 18 |
| B4.8 | 3 Nov 2026, 06:15 UTC | 2026-11-03T06:08:00Z | 2026-11-03T06:19:00Z | 18 |
How to read this
Three NOAA files are kept separate: the 1-minute planetary K index, the NOAA scales product, and the GOES X-ray flare list. A high K index is a number on SWPC’s scale. This page does not convert it into a northern-lights forecast. That is a different Travel Live page, linked below, which uses its own inputs.
A flare class such as C, M or X is the max_class string SWPC recorded. The time column is the timestamp that was parsed from the file. Begin and end are printed beside it when SWPC sent them.
SWPC’s scales page explains what the agency means by the R, S and G numbers. This page links that explanation rather than shortening it into a hazard line.
High-latitude country pages, for context only: Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Canada, United States. Aurora page: Northern lights tonight when that page is on this server; if the link is absent from the chip row, the page has not been written into this preview.
- 1-minute Kp: planetary_k_index_1m.json
- Scales: noaa-scales.json
- Flares: xray-flares-7-day.json
- What the scales mean: NOAA Space Weather Scales
- NWS / NOAA terms: public domain, with the conditions on that page
Quick answers
- What is the planetary K index right now?
- The latest 1-minute row at 2026-11-03T08:07:00 has kp “1Z”, estimated_kp 1.0 and kp_index 1. The kp cell is SWPC’s token, not a number this page converted.
- Were there solar flares in the last 24 hours?
- Yes. The file has 4, and the latest max class in that window is B4.8.
- Is this the same as the northern-lights page?
- No. That page scores viewing conditions from an aurora model, cloud and darkness. This page only repeats NOAA SWPC’s K index, scales file and flare list.
- What is an NOAA scale number?
- It is the number in SWPC’s noaa-scales file. SWPC explains the R, S and G scales on its NOAA Space Weather Scales page. This page does not replace that explanation.
- How fresh is the K index?
- The time tag on the latest 1-minute row is 2026-11-03T08:07:00. The page was built at 3 Nov 2026, 08:13 UTC. SWPC’s file is read fresh each time this module runs.
- Does a flare class tell me to change a flight?
- No. This page does not give operational advice. SWPC’s own products and the airline’s operations desk are the places that speak to that.
Data: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center. National Weather Service information is in the public domain unless specifically noted otherwise. Credit: NOAA / NWS Space Weather Prediction Center. swpc.noaa.gov