Kp- 5 indicates storm level readings of solar Storm hitting earth

The Estimated 3-hour Planetary Kp-index is derived at the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center using data from the following ground-based magnetometers: Boulder, Colorado; Chambon la Foret, France; Fredericksburg, Virginia; Fresno, California; Hartland, UK; Newport, Washington; Sitka, Alaska. These data are made available thanks to the cooperative efforts between SWPC and data providers around the world, which currently includes the U.S. Geological Survey, the British Geological Survey, and the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris.

Development and negotiations are in progress to add Jeju, Korea (Korea Communications Commission); Canberra, Australia (Geoscience Australia); Ottawa and Meanook, Canada (Geological Survey of Canada).

Other SWPC Real-time Monitors

Kp-indices of 5 or greater indicate storm-level geomagnetic activity. Geomagnetic storms have been associated with satellite surface charging and increased atmospheric drag.

For more information see The K-index or SWPC Education page.

This page updates dynamically every 5 minutes.

NOAA / Space Weather Prediction Center

Though I'm an amateur studying all this and not a professional the red columns stand up in an eerie way. I noticed very few people out and about today as if people were kind of not wanting to be outside unless they had to be. I myself stayed pretty much out of the sun but then since I'm in a really nice place in Southern California I walked the beaches in about 72 degrees Fahrenheit with my wife between about 4 pm to 6 pm today. I think the combination of relatively high gas prices and people being spooked about the Solar Storms really changed a lot of people's behaviors here. It is difficult to say which affected people the most ($5 a gallon gasoline or the Solar Storms?) this week? 

KP-5 indicates a G1 storm which is capable of causing damage to satellites which is why so many have been switched off world wide in space until this thing is over. An estimate of 48 hours from last night was given before all storming of our magnetosphere would calm down and auroras would return to more normal worldwide. 

As an intuitive I actually experienced the 1st storm more than this one because I was flying back from Hawaii on the 8th when it hit and felt pretty spaced out for about 48 hours from being hit with that much radiation. Then yesterday afternoon and night were kind of difficult for me to deal with but somehow by today I had adapted to it somehow and it wasn't uncomfortable for me. However, I have noticed both my wife and I have been a little more irritable this week but that could also be attributed to ending our vacation with 2 of our daughters and one of their friends and having to travel away from home on business as soon as we returned to the mainland from Maui within a few days. So, part of it might be just having to go through 3 different climate shifts for our bodies and minds in too short a period of time and having to be working on something important in addition to dealing with 2 solar storms as they hit earth which is still going on now as I write this.