Maneva, Yana and the SWOP team

Seminar presented at Royal Observatory of Belgium on 2025-02-07

Abstract: Ensuring timely and accurate operational space weather provision is a major challenge in the years of solar cycle maximum and especially during extreme space weather events. The Space Weather OPerations (SWOP) team within the SIDC has more than 20 years of experience in space weather forecasting and product developments, and since 2019 is heavily involved in 24/7 operational space weather service provision to aviation within the framework of PECASUS consortium. Combining our daily space weather forecasting tools and operational service provision efforts with model expertise obtained in-house or in collaboration with partnering institutions we present an operational perspective on the recent severe space weather event in May 2024 (also known as Mother’s day or Gannon storm). The events was characterised by high levels of solar activity with multiple Earth-directed coronal mass ejections, resulting in several periods of extreme geomagnetic conditions and diverse space weather impacts. We will follow the event from its origin on the solar surface through the heliosphere and conclude with the impacts on Earth, combining solar observations with space weather prediction tools. We will discuss the operational perspective and challenges met, and present modelled and observed impacts related to problems with high-frequency radio communications, navigation and radiation environment. Other impacts, such as beautiful auroras over Belgium, will also be addressed, as well as some media headline reports.