Magnetic storms in France
Planetary Kp localized for cities of France. Pick a region or a city.
Regions12
Popular cities24/55
- Paris2,138,551
- Marseille877,215
- Lyon520,774
- Toulouse511,684
- Nice342,669
- Nantes325,070
- Marne La Vallee318,325
- Strasbourg274,845
- Bordeaux265,328
- Montpellier248,252
- Lille238,695
- Paris 15 Vaugirard229,713
- Rennes227,830
- Reims196,565
- Le Havre185,972
- Paris 20 Menilmontant185,140
- Cergy-Pontoise183,430
- Paris 18 Buttes-Montmartre183,127
- Paris 13 Gobelins181,271
- Paris 19 Buttes-Chaumont178,691
- Paris 13e Arrondissement177,833
- Saint-Etienne176,280
- Toulon168,701
- Angers168,279
Kp is planetary — the same everywhere on Earth. Local impact depends on the geomagnetic latitude of a particular city.
Solar wind
DSCOVR · L1Auroras over France right now
Numbers for France
Regions of France — 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hauts-de-France | 2 | 381,781 | 51.7° | Mid-latitudes |
| Normandy | 3 | 412,927 | 51.3° | Mid-latitudes |
| Brittany | 2 | 372,729 | 50.7° | Mid-latitudes |
| Île-de-France | 20 | 5,260,026 | 50.4° | Mid-latitudes |
| Pays de la Loire | 3 | 637,864 | 49.6° | Mid-latitudes |
| Grand Est | 5 | 811,812 | 49.6° | Mid-latitudes |
| Centre-Val de Loire | 2 | 257,965 | 49.4° | Mid-latitudes |
| Bourgogne | 2 | 288,367 | 48.4° | Mid-latitudes |
| New Aquitaine | 2 | 406,504 | 47.3° | Mid-latitudes |
| Rhône-Alpes | 6 | 1,237,641 | 46.9° | Mid-latitudes |
| Occitanie | 4 | 1,018,878 | 45.0° | Mid-latitudes |
| Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 4 | 1,535,406 | 44.5° | Low latitudes |
Top 10 cities of France by sensitivity to magnetic storms
- 1.LilleHauts-de-France52.0°Mid-latitudes
- 2.AmiensHauts-de-France51.4°Mid-latitudes
- 3.Le HavreNormandy51.4°Mid-latitudes
- 4.RouenNormandy51.2°Mid-latitudes
- 5.CaenNormandy51.2°Mid-latitudes
- 6.BrestBrittany51.1°Mid-latitudes
- 7.Cergy-PontoiseÎle-de-France50.6°Mid-latitudes
- 8.ReimsGrand Est50.5°Mid-latitudes
- 9.ArgenteuilÎle-de-France50.5°Mid-latitudes
- 10.Paris 18 Buttes-MontmartreÎle-de-France50.4°Mid-latitudes
FAQ about magnetic storms in France
Where in France are magnetic storms most noticeable?+
The most storm-sensitive zone of the country is cities with geomagnetic latitude above 47°. There are no magnetic observatories in France in our database — we use global NOAA SWPC + INTERMAGNET data. The northernmost city in our database is Лил (50.6° N), the southernmost is Перпиньян (42.7° N).
What Kp causes noticeable effects in France?+
It depends on the city's latitude. In the south of France (geomagnetic latitude around 44.3°), noticeable effects appear from Kp ≥ 7, while in the far north (52°) — already from Kp ≥ 1–2. On average across the country (49° geomag.), noticeable storms start at Kp = 5–6.
Which regions of France see auroras most often?+
Regions with the highest mean geomagnetic latitude in our database: Hauts-de-France, Normandy, Brittany, Île-de-France, Pays de la Loire. Auroras are possible there at Kp 3–5, while most other regions need Kp ≥ 7.
How many time zones does France cover?+
France spans 1 time zones: from UTC+2 to UTC+2. 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 France?+
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 France, 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 (≈ 49.0°), where storms behave alike.
About magnetic storms in France
Magnetic storms in France today: planetary Kp = 3.0 (quiet). Our database holds 12 regions and 55 cities of France with live geomagnetic data.
Kp is planetary and identical everywhere on Earth, so its value for any point in France is 3.0. 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 France ranges from 44.3° in the south to 52.0° in the north, averaging 49.0°. The northernmost city in our database, Lille, sits at 52.0° geomagnetic — that is where storm effects show up first when planetary Kp climbs above 5. The southernmost, Perpignan, sees noticeable activity only during severe G4+ events.
France 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 France.