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 27 March 2001
⇐20010326 ⇐Week ⇐Rotation Today Rotation⇒ Week⇒ 20010328⇒

Welcome to the Flare Prediction System. This page lists the active regions present on the Sun today, together with their probability of producing C-, M-, or X-class events. Flare probabilities are calculated using NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center data combined over 1969-1976 and 1988-1996 (details of which can be found in Bloomfield et al., 2012, The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 747, L41, along with full forecast verification testing). The percentage probabilities are based on the number of flares produced by regions classified using the McIntosh classification scheme (McIntosh, P., 1990, Solar Physics, 125, 251) during cycles 21 and 22. For example, over both time periods there were 377 regions classified Eai. As this class produced 131 M-class events, the mean M-class flare rate is ~131/377 or ~0.347 flares per day. Assuming the number of flares per unit time is governed by Poisson statistics, we can estimate a flaring probability for the following 24-hours using P( one or more flares ) = 1 - exp( -mean ), i.e., P = 1 - exp( -0.347 ) ~ 0.29, or 29% for an Eai class region to produce one or more M-class flares in the next 24-hours.

See Gallagher, P. T., Moon, Y.-J., Wang, H., Solar Physics, 209, 171, (2002),
Wheatland, M. S., 2001, Solar Physics, 203, 87 and Moon et al., 2001, Journal of Geophysical Research-Space Physics, 106(A12) 29951 for further details.

Click here for a description of the various active region classifications from the Royal Observatory of Belgium.
Region Flare Probabilities (%)
Number McIntosh C-class M-class X-class
No Prediction Found

NOTE: Occurrence of '...' indicates that McIntosh class was not observed in the period over which the Poisson flare rate statistics were determined. Values in parantheses/brackets give the NOAA/SWPC forecast probabilities for the occurrence of one or more C-, M-, or X-class flares. When viewed in real-time and before 22:00 UT, NOAA predictions are valid up to 22:00 UT on the current date. When viewed in real-time after 22:00 UT (or when viewing past dates), NOAA predictions are valid up to 22:00 UT on the following date. The most recent data can also be found at NOAA's 3-day Space Weather Predictions page.

Please contact Peter Gallagher if you have any comments or questions regarding this research.


Today's/Yesterday's NOAA Active Regions
NOAA Number
Latest
Position
Hale
Class
McIntosh Class
Sunspot Area
[millionths]
Number of Spots
Recent
Flares
09387 N09W52
(743",74") 		βγδ/βγδ Cso/Cso 0160/0110 02/07 -
09389 S13W16
(256",-326") 		βγδ/βγδ Fai/Fai 0090/0100 30/25 -
09390 N15W22
(346",137") 		βγδ/βγδ Esi/Esi 0090/0080 18/25 -
09392 N18W91
(905",293") 		αγδ/βγδ Hsx/Cso 0060/0040 01/04 -
09393 N18E13
(-204",181") 		βγδ/βγδ Fkc/Ekc 1100/1040 61/21 -
09394 N09E08
(-131",30") 		αγδ/αγδ Hsx/Axx 0010/0000 01/01 -
09395 S12E21
(-335",-307") 		βγδ/βγδ Cso/Cao 0060/0050 04/03 -
09396 S06W46
(683",-182") 		βγδ/βγδ Dai/Cso 0110/0040 22/15 -
09397 S10E33
(-512",-264") 		βγδ/βγδ Eao/Dao 0260/0190 11/09 -
09398 N21W40
(573",253") 		αγδ/βγδ Hsx/Cso 0010/0030 01/07 -
09399 S29W36
(491",-544") 		βγδ/βγδ Dso/Dso 0030/0030 09/07 -
09400 N10W09
(147",47") 		βγδ/αγδ Cro/Axx 0010/0000 04/01 -
09401 N22E29
(-429",257") 		βγδ/βγδ Dko/Dao 0270/0150 21/08 -
09402 N16W12
(191",148") 		βγδ/βγδ Cro/Bxo 0010/0010 03/03 -
09403 S13E48
(-691",-291") 		αγδ/αγδ Hrx/Hrx 0020/0020 01/01 -
09404 S06E52
(-748",-172") 		βγδ/- Cso/--- 0070/---- 03/-- -

Class (HH:MM) -Today
Class (HH:MM) -Yesterday

Events not associated with currently named NOAA regions: None

Note: The tabulated data are based on the most recent NOAA/USAF Active Region Summary issued on 27-Mar-2001 00:30 . The greyed out and light-blue entries are values from the previous day. Slashed cells indicate that the active region has no spots. The latest positions of the active regions are given in both heliographic and heliocentric co-ordinates. The region positions are valid on 27-Mar-2001 23:30 .