In the last 24 hours, four more M-class flares were observed from sunspot region 1515 on July 2nd - the largest of which was an M5.6 and included an M3.8, M2.0, and M1.1 flare. Several more (high) C-class flares originated in this region and in 1513.
Flaring activity is expected to remain high, with a good chance for another M-class flares from region 1515. Coronograph images from the STEREO and SOHO instruments show many CME's (coronal mass ejections) during the past three days. None appear to present a direct hit to Earth; however, they will present a glancing blow.
Equation:
Charged Particles (sunspots, solar flares, filament, coronal holes, etc.) => Magnetic Field Shift => Shifting Ocean and Jet Stream Currents => Extreme Weather and Human Disruption (mitch battros 1998 Updated: 2012).
My research identifies a direct causal effect between solar activity and extreme weather here on Earth. The recent storms in the mid-west and upward to the US east coast are an unfortunate example - such as record-breaking heat parts to the US along with unusual cool in others.
M5.6 Flare Video
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"Derecho" Strikes the Eastern United States
A windstorm started in northwestern Indiana, and traveled roughly 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) eastward to the Atlantic Ocean. Embarking on a roughly 10-hour journey, the fast-moving storm toppled trees, downed power lines and left more than a million residents without power in the District of Columbia alone.
Derecho Means 'Straight-Line Winds'
The storm was what meteorologists call a 'derecho'. Deriving its name from the Spanish term for "straight ahead," 'derecho' (Day - Ray -Cho) storms generally blow in one direction. They do not swirl like tornadoes, but they can cause tornado-style damage. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that the wind gusts in the June 29th 'derecho' rivaled those of an EF-1 tornado.
'Derecho' occurred along the boundary of two air masses. In the north, the air was stable and dry. In the south, the air was unstable and moist, and hot. The Capital Weather Gang reported that, before the 'derecho' began, areas affected by the southern air mass were facing record-high temperatures - 109 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) in Nashville, Tennessee, and Columbia, South Carolina; and 104 degrees (40 degrees Celsius) in Washington, DC. This hot, humid air provided fuel for the windstorm, which pulled the air skyward, then returned it in violent downdrafts.
