369 Radio Blackouts Hit Australia as 'Solar Flare Fact

4 Feb 2026Sunspot region 4366, a rapidly growing and volatile active region, has unleashed a barrage of solar flares, including 18 M-class and 4 X-class flares, causing widespread radio blackouts across the South Pacific. The region’s unstable magnetic structure, characterised by a beta-gamma-delta configuration, poses a significant risk of further eruptions, potentially including coronal mass ejections aimed at Earth. The situation is critical, with a 40% probability of another X-class flare in the next 24 hours, and the region rotating into an Earth-facing position.