On August 18, global networks of magnetic observatories detected a planetary-scale geomagnetic storm on Earth. This was reported by the Solar Astronomy Laboratory of the Space Research Institute (IKI) of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

According to scientists, the disturbance began between 7 and 8 a.m. Moscow time, and by 9:00 the storm had reached G1 amplitude—the minimum level on the five-point geomagnetic storm scale. Experts note that worsening geomagnetic conditions were expected, but calculations did not assume that the disturbance level would exceed weak ones, and the cause of the event's intensity is not yet fully understood. According to preliminary estimates, the storm is not expected to last long.

This is the third geomagnetic disturbance on Earth since the beginning of August. The first storm of the month occurred on August 2: a plasma ejection reached the planet during the day, and by evening, magnetospheric disturbances had intensified to an average G2 level. The second disturbance was recorded on August 8: during the day, the storm reached G1 intensity, then, after a pause, resumed and intensified almost to G2 intensity, peaking around midnight. Thus, the intensity of both previous storms did not exceed G2 intensity.