Magnetic storms in Kazakhstan
Planetary Kp localized for cities of Kazakhstan. Pick a region or a city.
Regions21
Popular cities24/83
- Almaty1,977,011
- Shymkent1,200,000
- Aktobe500,757
- Karagandy497,777
- Taraz358,153
- Kyzylorda354,800
- Astana345,604
- Oral330,000
- Pavlodar329,002
- Ust-Kamenogorsk319,067
- Semey292,780
- Atyrau290,700
- Turkestan227,098
- Kostanay210,000
- Petropavl200,920
- Temirtau170,600
- Kokshetau150,649
- Aktau147,443
- Rudnyy124,000
- Ekibastuz121,470
- Taldykorgan116,558
- Zhezqazghan104,357
- Zhanaozen103,598
- Balqash81,364
Kp is planetary — the same everywhere on Earth. Local impact depends on the geomagnetic latitude of a particular city.
Solar wind
DSCOVR · L1Auroras over Kazakhstan right now
Numbers for Kazakhstan
Magnetic observatories in Kazakhstan
| Observatory | Coordinates | Network |
|---|---|---|
| Alma-Ata | 43.18°N, 76.92°E | INTERMAGNET |
Regions of Kazakhstan — 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Kazakhstan | 1 | 200,920 | 47.2° | Mid-latitudes |
| West Kazakhstan | 2 | 364,799 | 45.3° | Mid-latitudes |
| Kostanay | 5 | 459,104 | 45.1° | Mid-latitudes |
| Aqmola | 6 | 313,956 | 45.0° | Low latitudes |
| Pavlodar Region | 3 | 495,280 | 43.8° | Low latitudes |
| Astana | 1 | 345,604 | 43.3° | Low latitudes |
| Aktobe | 5 | 598,827 | 42.8° | Low latitudes |
| Atyrau Oblisi | 4 | 388,248 | 41.5° | Low latitudes |
| Karaganda | 6 | 869,349 | 41.3° | Low latitudes |
| East Kazakhstan | 5 | 454,347 | 41.0° | Low latitudes |
| Ulytau Region | 2 | 174,139 | 40.4° | Low latitudes |
| Abai Region | 4 | 367,060 | 40.1° | Low latitudes |
| Baikonur | 1 | 70,000 | 38.6° | Low latitudes |
| Kyzylorda | 7 | 511,391 | 37.9° | Low latitudes |
| Mangystau | 3 | 282,409 | 37.8° | Low latitudes |
| Zhetysu Region | 5 | 275,069 | 36.6° | Low latitudes |
| Zhambyl | 6 | 500,377 | 35.4° | Low latitudes |
| Almaty Region | 5 | 157,216 | 35.2° | Low latitudes |
| Almaty | 1 | 1,977,011 | 35.0° | Low latitudes |
| Shymkent | 1 | 1,200,000 | 34.7° | Low latitudes |
| Turkistan | 10 | 497,601 | 34.6° | Low latitudes |
Top 10 cities of Kazakhstan by sensitivity to magnetic storms
- 1.PetropavlNorth Kazakhstan47.2°Mid-latitudes
- 2.KostanayKostanay46.0°Mid-latitudes
- 3.RudnyyKostanay45.9°Mid-latitudes
- 4.KokshetauAqmola45.6°Mid-latitudes
- 5.Akkol'Aqmola45.6°Mid-latitudes
- 6.LisakovskKostanay45.5°Mid-latitudes
- 7.OralWest Kazakhstan45.4°Mid-latitudes
- 8.ZhitikaraKostanay45.3°Mid-latitudes
- 9.ShchuchinskAqmola45.2°Mid-latitudes
- 10.AqsayWest Kazakhstan45.2°Mid-latitudes
FAQ about magnetic storms in Kazakhstan
Where in Kazakhstan are magnetic storms most noticeable?+
The most storm-sensitive zone of the country is cities with geomagnetic latitude above 42.2°. 1 magnetic observatories operate in Kazakhstan in our database, recording the geomagnetic field in real time. The northernmost city in our database is Петропавловск (54.9° N), the southernmost is Джетысай (40.8° N).
What Kp causes noticeable effects in Kazakhstan?+
It depends on the city's latitude. In the south of Kazakhstan (geomagnetic latitude around 33.3°), noticeable effects appear from Kp ≥ 7, while in the far north (47.2°) — already from Kp ≥ 1–2. On average across the country (39.6° geomag.), noticeable storms start at Kp = 5–6.
Which regions of Kazakhstan see auroras most often?+
Regions with the highest mean geomagnetic latitude in our database: North Kazakhstan, West Kazakhstan, Kostanay, Aqmola, Pavlodar Region. Auroras are possible there at Kp 3–5, while most other regions need Kp ≥ 7.
How many time zones does Kazakhstan cover?+
Kazakhstan spans 1 time zones: from UTC+5 to UTC+5. 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 Kazakhstan?+
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?+
Kazakhstan hosts 1 magnetic observatories (IZMIRAN and INTERMAGNET networks). Key ones: Alma-Ata. On each city page we show the nearest observatory and its distance.
Other countries with similar geomagnetic activity
Countries at similar mean geomagnetic latitude (≈ 39.6°), where storms behave alike.
About magnetic storms in Kazakhstan
Magnetic storms in Kazakhstan today: planetary Kp = 3.0 (quiet). Our database holds 21 regions and 83 cities of Kazakhstan with live geomagnetic data.
Kp is planetary and identical everywhere on Earth, so its value for any point in Kazakhstan 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 Kazakhstan ranges from 33.3° in the south to 47.2° in the north, averaging 39.6°. The northernmost city in our database, Petropavl, sits at 47.2° geomagnetic — that is where storm effects show up first when planetary Kp climbs above 5. The southernmost, Zhetysay, sees noticeable activity only during severe G4+ events.
Kazakhstan hosts one INTERMAGNET station that records the local field continuously. 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 Kazakhstan.