[Ips-dsgr] ASWFC Daily Report - 20 February 26 issued 2330 UT on 20 Feb 2026 [SEC=OFFICIAL]
Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre
aswfc at bom.gov.au
Sat Feb 21 10:30:45 AEDT 2026
SUBJ: ASWFC DAILY SOLAR AND GEOPHYSICAL REPORT
ISSUED AT 2330UT/20 FEBRUARY 2026
FROM THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE WEATHER FORECASTING CENTRE
SUMMARY FOR 20 FEBRUARY AND FORECAST FOR 21 FEBRUARY - 23 FEBRUARY
STATUS INDICATORS SOL:GREEN MAG:** YELLOW ** ION: GREEN
ASWAS SCALE DESCRIPTION: https://bit.ly/3lmaMBx
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1A. SOLAR SUMMARY
Activity 20 Feb: R0
Flares: none.
Observed 10.7 cm flux/Equivalent Sunspot Number for 20 Feb: 111/62
1B. SOLAR FORECAST
21 Feb 22 Feb 23 Feb
Activity R0 R0 R0
Fadeouts None expected None expected None expected
10.7cm/SSN 110/60 110/60 120/72
COMMENT: Solar flare activity on UT day 20-Feb was at the R0
level, with the largest flare a C2.8 flare at 20/0307UT. There
are currently three numbered and one unnumbered sunspot regions
visible on the solar disk. Unnumbered sunspot (S03,E29, alpha)
is small and shows slight growth. All other sunspot regions are
small, magnetically simple and either stable or in decay. Solar
flare activity is expected to be at the R0 level over 21-23 Feb.
S0 solar radiation storm conditions were observed on UT day 20-Feb.
S0 solar radiation storm conditions are expected over 21-23 Feb.
No Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) have been observed.
The solar wind speed on UT day 20-Feb decreased slightly, mostly
ranging between 440 and 530 km/s and is currently near 460 km/s.
The peak total interplanetary magnetic field strength (IMF, Bt)
was 11 nT and the north-south IMF component (Bz) range was -5
to +7 nT. The solar wind is expected to remain around background
levels over 21 Feb. An increase in wind speed is expected late
on 22-Feb and into 23-Feb due to high speed wind stream effects
from an equatorial coronal hole rotating towards a geoeffective
location.
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2A. MAGNETIC SUMMARY
Geomagnetic field for Australian Region 20 Feb: G0
Estimated Indices 20 Feb : A K
Australian Region 9 12133223
Cocos Island 5 12022222
Darwin 8 22132223
Townsville 10 22133233
Learmonth 10 12133332
Alice Springs 8 22133222
Gingin 8 12122233
Canberra 9 12133223
Kennaook Cape Grim 8 12123223
Hobart 9 12133223
Estimated Antarctic Regional K Indices 20 Feb :
Macquarie Island 10 02134322
Casey 17 35333232
Mawson 27 44333346
Observed Regional daily pc3 Indices 20 Feb :
Darwin 0 (Quiet)
Townsville 0 (Quiet)
Learmonth 0 (Quiet)
Alice Springs 0 (Quiet)
Gingin 16 (Quiet)
Canberra 22 (Quiet to unsettled)
Hobart 40 (Quiet to unsettled)
Pc3 pulsations are high frequency (10-45 second period) variations
of the Earths magnetic field. Daily pc3-indices are the daily sum
of 20 minute pc3-indices for that station and have been shown to be
well correlated with rejection of high resolution aeromagnetic
survey flight-line data.
NOTE: Indices may have been generated from data obtained in
cooperation with the following organisations: Geoscience Australia,
University of Newcastle Space Physics Group, Australian Government
Antarctic Division and International Center for Space Weather
Science and Education, Japan.
Estimated AFr/Ap Indices 20 Feb : A
Fredericksburg 9
Planetary 10
Observed AFr/Ap Indices 19 Feb : A K
Fredericksburg 8
Planetary 10 3332 3111
2B. MAGNETIC FORECAST
Date Ap Conditions
21 Feb 8 G0
22 Feb 12 G0, chance of G1
23 Feb 19 G0-G1
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3A. GLOBAL HF PROPAGATION SUMMARY
Latitude Band
Date Low Middle High
20 Feb Normal Normal Fair-normal
PCA Event : No event.
3B. GLOBAL HF PROPAGATION FORECAST
Latitude Band
Date Low Middle High
21 Feb Normal Normal Normal-fair
22 Feb Normal Normal Normal-fair
23 Feb Normal Normal-fair Fair
COMMENT: Global ionospheric conditions were mostly normal on
UT day 20-Feb, with fair conditions observed at high latitudes
in the primarily in the southern hemisphere. Mostly normal HF
conditions are expected over 21-23 Feb.
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4A. AUSTRALIAN REGION IONOSPHERIC SUMMARY
Date T index
20 Feb 109
Observed Australian Regional MUFs
Cocos Island Region:
Enhanced by 15% during local day.
Near predicted monthly values during local night.
Niue Island Region:
Enhanced by 25% during local day.
Near predicted monthly values during local night.
Northern Australian Region:
Near predicted monthly values during local day.
Enhanced by 20% during local night.
Southern Australian Region:
Near predicted monthly values.
Antarctic Region (Casey/Davis/Mawson):
Near predicted monthly values over the UT day.
Monthly T index:
Month T index
Jan 96
Feb 88
Mar 87
4B. AUSTRALIAN REGION IONOSPHERIC FORECAST
Date T index MUFs
21 Feb 98 Near predicted monthly values
22 Feb 90 Near predicted monthly values
23 Feb 90 Near predicted monthly values
COMMENT: Maximum Usable Frequencies (MUFs) on UT day 20-Feb in
the Australian region were near predicted monthly values. Spread
F was observed at Hobart and Perth during local night hours.
MUFs are expected to be near predicted monthly values over 21-22
Feb with chance of slightly depressed values on 23-Feb due to
the increased Geomagnetic conditions from the Coronal hole high
speed wind stream.
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5. SPACE ENVIRONMENT SUMMARY
GOES satellite data for 19 Feb
Daily Proton Fluence >1 MeV: 1.5E+06
Daily Proton Fluence >10 MeV: 1.5E+04
Daily Electron Fluence >2 MeV: 1.10E+08 (moderate fluence)
Electron Fluence Daily Deep Dielectric Discharge Probability:11%
Fluence (flux accumulation over 24hrs)/ cm2-ster-day.
X-ray background: B3.8
DSCOVR Satellite Solar Wind Day Averaged Data for 19 Feb
Speed: 489 km/sec Density: 3.2 p/cc Temp: 115000 K Bz: 1 nT
(Courtesy Space Weather Prediction Center, Boulder USA)
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Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
ASWFC at bom.gov.au
www.bom.gov.au | www.sws.bom.gov.au
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