Magnetic storms in Spain
Planetary Kp localized for cities of Spain. Pick a region or a city.
Regions17
Popular cities24/93
- Madrid3,255,944
- Barcelona1,686,208
- Valencia824,340
- Zaragoza686,986
- Sevilla686,741
- Malaga591,637
- Murcia471,982
- Palma438,234
- Las Palmas de Gran Canaria383,516
- Alicante348,901
- Bilbao347,342
- Cordoba325,708
- Valladolid300,618
- Vigo293,642
- Gijon271,780
- Eixample266,477
- Gasteiz / Vitoria257,407
- L'Hospitalet de Llobregat257,038
- Latina256,644
- Carabanchel253,678
- A Coruna250,438
- Puente de Vallecas244,151
- Fuencarral238,765
- Sant Marti235,719
Kp is planetary — the same everywhere on Earth. Local impact depends on the geomagnetic latitude of a particular city.
Solar wind
DSCOVR · L1Auroras over Spain right now
Numbers for Spain
Regions of Spain — 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asturias | 2 | 491,807 | 46.5° | Mid-latitudes |
| Cantabria | 1 | 173,635 | 46.2° | Mid-latitudes |
| Galicia | 3 | 649,313 | 46.1° | Mid-latitudes |
| Basque Country | 4 | 890,541 | 45.7° | Mid-latitudes |
| Navarre | 1 | 208,243 | 45.2° | Mid-latitudes |
| La Rioja | 1 | 151,164 | 45.0° | Low latitudes |
| Castille and León | 4 | 746,633 | 44.8° | Low latitudes |
| Aragon | 2 | 797,506 | 43.9° | Low latitudes |
| Catalonia | 20 | 4,857,224 | 43.2° | Low latitudes |
| Madrid | 29 | 8,008,611 | 43.2° | Low latitudes |
| Extremadura | 1 | 150,530 | 42.2° | Low latitudes |
| Castille-La Mancha | 1 | 173,050 | 41.5° | Low latitudes |
| Balearic Islands | 1 | 438,234 | 41.3° | Low latitudes |
| Valencia | 5 | 1,681,184 | 41.1° | Low latitudes |
| Murcia | 2 | 685,925 | 40.2° | Low latitudes |
| Andalusia | 12 | 3,022,694 | 40.0° | Low latitudes |
| Canary Islands | 4 | 868,801 | 33.1° | Low latitudes |
Top 10 cities of Spain by sensitivity to magnetic storms
- 1.A CorunaGalicia46.8°Mid-latitudes
- 2.GijonAsturias46.5°Mid-latitudes
- 3.OviedoAsturias46.4°Mid-latitudes
- 4.SantanderCantabria46.2°Mid-latitudes
- 5.BarakaldoBasque Country45.9°Mid-latitudes
- 6.BilbaoBasque Country45.8°Mid-latitudes
- 7.VigoGalicia45.7°Mid-latitudes
- 8.San SebastianBasque Country45.7°Mid-latitudes
- 9.OurenseGalicia45.7°Mid-latitudes
- 10.LeonCastille and León45.6°Mid-latitudes
FAQ about magnetic storms in Spain
Where in Spain are magnetic storms most noticeable?+
The most storm-sensitive zone of the country is cities with geomagnetic latitude above 41.8°. There are no magnetic observatories in Spain in our database — we use global NOAA SWPC + INTERMAGNET data. The northernmost city in our database is Хихон (43.5° N), the southernmost is Телде (28.0° N).
What Kp causes noticeable effects in Spain?+
It depends on the city's latitude. In the south of Spain (geomagnetic latitude around 32.7°), noticeable effects appear from Kp ≥ 7, while in the far north (46.8°) — already from Kp ≥ 1–2. On average across the country (42.6° geomag.), noticeable storms start at Kp = 5–6.
Which regions of Spain see auroras most often?+
Regions with the highest mean geomagnetic latitude in our database: Asturias, Cantabria, Galicia, Basque Country, Navarre. Auroras are possible there at Kp 3–5, while most other regions need Kp ≥ 7.
How many time zones does Spain cover?+
Spain spans 2 time zones: from UTC+1 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 Spain?+
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 Spain, 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 (≈ 42.6°), where storms behave alike.
About magnetic storms in Spain
Magnetic storms in Spain today: planetary Kp = 0.0 (quiet). Our database holds 17 regions and 93 cities of Spain with live geomagnetic data.
Kp is planetary and identical everywhere on Earth, so its value for any point in Spain is 0.0. 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 Spain ranges from 32.7° in the south to 46.8° in the north, averaging 42.6°. The northernmost city in our database, Gijon, sits at 46.8° geomagnetic — that is where storm effects show up first when planetary Kp climbs above 5. The southernmost, Telde, sees noticeable activity only during severe G4+ events.
Spain 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 Spain.