Russian scientists expect strong solar flare activity on Monday, July 17, 2023, which may interfere with shortwave communications after they observed three flares on the sun on Sunday.

The Fedorov Institute of Applied Geophysics in Moscow said that X-class flares (the largest flares), including proton flares, are possible and are expected to cause shortwave radio interruptions.

The institute pointed out that three solar flares were observed on Sunday, one of which lasted 14 minutes and was accompanied by radio communication disruption.

X-class flares are the largest explosions in the solar systems and can cause long-lasting radiation storms. Proton flares are storms of solar energy particles mainly composed of protons.

In 2022, a geomagnetic storm caused by a large wave of radiation from the sun damaged 40 SpaceX satellites that had been launched shortly before.