Magnetic storms in China
Planetary Kp localized for cities of China. Pick a region or a city.
Regions30
Popular cities24/293
- Shanghai24,874,500
- Beijing18,960,744
- Shenzhen17,494,398
- Guangzhou16,096,724
- Chengdu13,568,357
- Tianjin11,090,314
- Wuhan10,392,693
- Dongguan9,644,871
- Xi'an9,600,000
- Nanjing9,314,685
- Hangzhou9,236,032
- Foshan9,042,509
- Chongqing7,457,599
- Wuzhong7,202,654
- Qingdao7,172,451
- Shenyang7,050,000
- Suzhou6,715,559
- Pudong5,681,512
- Harbin5,242,897
- Hefei5,050,000
- Dalian4,913,879
- Changchun4,714,996
- Xiamen4,617,251
- Bao'an4,476,554
Kp is planetary — the same everywhere on Earth. Local impact depends on the geomagnetic latitude of a particular city.
Solar wind
DSCOVR · L1Auroras over China right now
Numbers for China
Regions of China — sensitivity table
Sorted by mean geomagnetic latitude. The higher the latitude, the more noticeable magnetic storms are in the region.
| Region | Cities | Population | Geomagnetic latitude | Sensitivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heilongjiang | 8 | 10,808,059 | 38.3° | Low latitudes |
| Jilin | 4 | 7,676,470 | 34.2° | Low latitudes |
| Xinjiang | 5 | 5,193,765 | 33.5° | Low latitudes |
| Liaoning | 13 | 21,742,599 | 32.0° | Low latitudes |
| Inner Mongolia | 5 | 8,750,884 | 31.2° | Low latitudes |
| Beijing | 1 | 18,960,744 | 30.7° | Low latitudes |
| Tianjin | 2 | 11,625,612 | 29.9° | Low latitudes |
| Hebei | 12 | 17,140,009 | 29.4° | Low latitudes |
| Ningxia | 4 | 10,604,233 | 28.9° | Low latitudes |
| Shanxi | 9 | 14,856,875 | 28.1° | Low latitudes |
| Qinghai | 1 | 1,677,177 | 27.3° | Low latitudes |
| Shandong | 20 | 35,124,455 | 27.2° | Low latitudes |
| Gansu | 6 | 8,360,767 | 27.1° | Low latitudes |
| Henan | 17 | 21,783,335 | 25.1° | Low latitudes |
| Shaanxi | 7 | 15,679,552 | 24.5° | Low latitudes |
| Jiangsu | 19 | 48,033,602 | 23.2° | Low latitudes |
| Anhui | 14 | 20,589,766 | 23.0° | Low latitudes |
| Shanghai | 17 | 49,856,484 | 22.1° | Low latitudes |
| Hubei | 11 | 21,578,994 | 21.7° | Low latitudes |
| Sichuan | 19 | 32,979,891 | 20.9° | Low latitudes |
| Chongqing | 4 | 10,371,864 | 20.8° | Low latitudes |
| Zhejiang | 16 | 33,610,640 | 20.4° | Low latitudes |
| Jiangxi | 9 | 11,023,423 | 18.6° | Low latitudes |
| Hunan | 12 | 14,486,242 | 18.4° | Low latitudes |
| Guizhou | 5 | 8,298,455 | 17.5° | Low latitudes |
| Fujian | 8 | 14,999,032 | 16.0° | Low latitudes |
| Yunnan | 6 | 8,137,490 | 15.9° | Low latitudes |
| Guangxi | 11 | 14,177,196 | 14.0° | Low latitudes |
| Guangdong | 23 | 89,622,469 | 13.6° | Low latitudes |
| Hainan | 5 | 5,539,878 | 9.8° | Low latitudes |
Top 10 cities of China by sensitivity to magnetic storms
- 1.Daxing'anlingHeilongjiang43.3°Low latitudes
- 2.HegangHeilongjiang38.6°Low latitudes
- 3.QiqiharHeilongjiang38.3°Low latitudes
- 4.JiamusiHeilongjiang38.1°Low latitudes
- 5.ShuangyashanHeilongjiang38.0°Low latitudes
- 6.DaqingHeilongjiang37.6°Low latitudes
- 7.HarbinHeilongjiang36.9°Low latitudes
- 8.MudanjiangHeilongjiang35.8°Low latitudes
- 9.ShiheziXinjiang35.5°Low latitudes
- 10.JilinJilin35.0°Low latitudes
FAQ about magnetic storms in China
Where in China are magnetic storms most noticeable?+
The most storm-sensitive zone of the country is cities with geomagnetic latitude above 38.3°. There are no magnetic observatories in China in our database — we use global NOAA SWPC + INTERMAGNET data. The northernmost city in our database is Daxing'anling (52.3° N), the southernmost is Санья (18.3° N).
What Kp causes noticeable effects in China?+
It depends on the city's latitude. In the south of China (geomagnetic latitude around 8.9°), noticeable effects appear from Kp ≥ 7, while in the far north (43.3°) — already from Kp ≥ 1–2. On average across the country (23° geomag.), noticeable storms start at Kp = 5–6.
Which regions of China see auroras most often?+
Regions with the highest mean geomagnetic latitude in our database: Heilongjiang, Jilin, Xinjiang, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia. Auroras are possible there at Kp 3–5, while most other regions need Kp ≥ 7.
How many time zones does China cover?+
China spans 2 time zones: from UTC+6 to UTC+8. This means the local time of a magnetic storm peak differs across regions — we account for this on each city page.
How do magnetic storms affect residents of China?+
At Kp ≥ 5 weather-sensitive people may experience blood pressure swings, headaches, sleep disturbances. Pensioners and people with hypertension should watch the forecast carefully. In the north of the country, even a G1 storm brings visible auroras and noticeable magnetic field oscillations; in southern regions the effect is much weaker.
Where is the nearest magnetic observatory?+
Our database has no magnetic observatories in China, but we use data from nearby observatories in neighbouring countries and the global NOAA SWPC + INTERMAGNET network.
Other countries with similar geomagnetic activity
Countries at similar mean geomagnetic latitude (≈ 23.0°), where storms behave alike.
About magnetic storms in China
Magnetic storms in China today: planetary Kp = 2.3 (quiet). Our database holds 30 regions and 293 cities of China with live geomagnetic data.
Kp is planetary and identical everywhere on Earth, so its value for any point in China is 2.3. But the local impact of a storm depends strongly on geomagnetic latitude: in the far north even a minor G1 storm triggers auroras and noticeable field disturbance, while in southern regions the effect is barely perceptible.
Pick a region above to see its cities. Each city page shows: current Kp and G-class, a 3-day hourly forecast, distance to the nearest magnetic observatory, local time in the correct time zone and aurora visibility chance. Data from NOAA SWPC, refreshed every 10 minutes.
The geomagnetic latitude across China ranges from 8.9° in the south to 43.3° in the north, averaging 23.0°. The northernmost city in our database, Daxing'anling, sits at 43.3° geomagnetic — that is where storm effects show up first when planetary Kp climbs above 5. The southernmost, Sanya, sees noticeable activity only during severe G4+ events.
China hosts no permanent magnetic observatories in our network — neighbouring stations provide regional context. Combined with the planetary Kp from NOAA SWPC, this lets us localise the picture: same Kp value, but different sensitivity from one region to another inside China.