A partial-halo event was observed by the SOHO instruments EIT and LASCO beginning around 03:00 UT on Sept 24th. The event was associated with active region number 8088 and a coronal shock wave was observed propagating across the solar disk in EIT. LASCO observed a CME that started to the SE and then swept around to the west limb. The event encompassed about 180 degrees including both limbs, but was not observed to the north. This event may be related to the M-class flare observed at about the same time. A large CME was also observed which was related to the long duration C-class event on Sep 23/2136-2350UT. The image taken at 22:02 UT with the LASCO C2 telescope did not show the event but the following image at 23:48 showed that the event was already formed.

The WIND/WAVES instrument observed clear Type III radio bursts at around 0130 and 0250 UT on Sept 24, 1997.

The GEOTAIL Wave experiment (PWI) detected type III radio bursts at 0130 and 0250 Sept 24, the latter of which agrees with the 0248 time of type II and IV events reported by NOAA.

The SEC at NOAA are predicting a geomagnetic disturbance based upon several factors. The M5 had a strong type II and IV. A very weak enhancement in the GOES >10 MeV proton flux was observed about 3 hours after the flare. The location of the source region was approaching central meridian. Coronal Moreton waves were observed with the M5 and an earlier long duration C-class event between 23/2136-2350UT. The longitudinal extent of the CME with the M5 was large.

Based upon classical predictors and the SOHO observations, a disturbance is expected to arrive late on 26 Sept. Active to Major geomagnetic storm conditions are predicted with isolated periods at severe storm possible during 26-27 Sept.

From Jean-Louis Bougeret - A strong type III storm re-appeared on September 25. WIND/WAVES observed the first long lasting storm of Type IIIs from September 9-18, when the storm obviously went over the West limb of the Sun. These storms are very closely associated to the development of complex active regions on the Sun. They are typically SOLAR MAXIMUM phenomena. The appearance of a new storm on Sept 25 means that the second complex sunspot group that has appeared on the Sun also follows the solar maximum scenario. Ground based radioastronomy shows that a long-lasting noise storm has also developped at higher frequencies (200 MHz - 300 MHz). This means that we have a well identified helmet streamer type of structure, which is opened into the interplanetary space and releases quasi-permanent fluxes of energetic particles along an interplanetary structure that appears to corrotate with the sun.

From Mike Desch - A solar Type III storm occurred on the 25th that continues on into the 26th. This may be evidence of the emergence of a new active region since 8088 is supposed to be winding down. There was no evidence of any type II emission on the 25th or 26th. There was a only moderate increase in AKR toward the end of the 26th.

The daily A-Index is predicted to be about 40 on a scale of zero to 400. The most intense storm of the last 10 years was in March, 1989, when the index was 246. There has been one geomagnetic storm a year for the last three years where the A-Index reach ed 50 or greater. When the new solar cycle gets to high levels beginning probably early in 1999, such conditions may occur several times per month during the most active months.

The predicted K-index for every three hours through the day is for several values of 6 with a chance of a 7 on a scale from zero to 9. The event in March of 1989 had several values of 8 and 9.

At a K of 6, satellites begin to experience a noticeable increase in atmospheric drag resulting in changes to their orbits. At K of 6 or 7, electric power systems begin to notice the effects. At K of 6, the aurora borealis is frequently visible over the northern United States. At K of 7 it may be visible to about the middle of the US. In March of 1989, it was reported from many locations around the Gulf of Mexico. It has been reported that in some of the largest events of the last 100 years, the aurora from the north and south converged at the equator.

The solar flares that have been observed were one Class C and two Class M. The flare scale is based on the intensity of x-rays from the sun. Class C is a small event, Class M is 10 times stronger, and Class X is 100 times stronger than Class C. There were 10 Class X events between March 6 and 18 of 1989.

The solar proton radiation event as measured in space near the Earth was almost undetectable. The event of September 1989 was about 100,000 times larger.

The value of these events and these observations, especially from the NASA satellites SOHO, WIND, the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) and the NOAA instrument Solar X-ray Imager scheduled to fly on the GOES weather satellites beginning 1999 is that they provide an opportunity to calibrate all the new instrumentation that has become available since 1989 and will provide forecasters with far better tools to predict these events. Using the old systems that were available in 1989, there was a 50 percent false alarm rate in the forecasts and many events that occurred were not forecast.