‰  NOW 18 WPM transition file follows‰

At 0121 UTC on April 29 the Australian Space Forecast Centre
released a geomagnetic disturbance warning for April 30 and May 1.
Increased geomagnetic activity is predicted due to high speed solar
wind coming from a coronal hole. There is a chance of minor storm
levels.  Over the past reporting week, April 21 to 27, average daily
sunspot numbers rose from 40 to 43.3, and average daily solar flux
declined from 100.8 to 81.9. This is compared to the previous seven
days.  Average planetary A index went from 10.9 to 9.4, and average
mid latitude A index rose from 8.9 to 11.6.  Predicted solar flux,
from the Thursday April 28 forecast, is 95 on April 29 and 30, 92 on
May 1 and 2, 90 on May 3 and 4, 95 on May 5 to 10, 100 on May 11, 95
on May 12 to 15, 82 on May 16 to 24, 80 on May 25, 82 on May 26 to
29, and 95 on May 30 through June 6.  Predicted planetary A index,
also from April 28, is 14, 26, 20, 8 and 5 on April 29 through May
3, then 12 on May 4 and 5, 10 on May 6, then 5 on May 7 and 8, then
18, 25 and 20 on May 9 to 11, and 8, 5 and 12 on May 12 to 14, 5 on
May 15 to 18, then 12, 15 and 12 on May 19 to 21, 8 on May 22 and
23, 5 on May 24 and 25, then 10, 18 and 12 on May 26 to 28, and 5 on
May 29 and 30, 12 on May 31, and 5 again on June 1 to 4.  Petr
Kolman, OK1MGW of the Czech Propagation Interest Group sends the
following geomagnetic activity forecast for the period April 29 to
May 25, 2016.  The geomagnetic field will be, Quiet on May 6 and 7,
16 and 17 Mostly Quiet on May 1 to 3, 8, 15, 22 to 25 Quiet to
Unsettled on May 12 and 13, 18, 21 Quiet to Active on April 29, May
4 and 5, 9 to 11, 14, 19 and 20 Active to Disturbed on April 30, May
9 and 10 Increases in solar wind from coronal holes are expected on
April 29 and 30, May 4 and 5, 8 to 11, 19 to 21 NASA released a
video of an April 17 solar flare.  It can be seen at,
//bit.ly/1WU1nOO .  Ted Leaf, K6HI of Kona also sent a similar item.
Spaceweather.com reports Earth will cross a fold in the heliospheric
current sheet on April 29 or 30.  The report can be read at,
//wso.stanford.edu/gifs/HCS.html .  They go on to report, This is
called a solar sector boundary crossing, and it could trigger
geomagnetic activity around Earths poles. NOAA forecasters estimate
a 60 percent chance of G1 class geomagnetic storms on April 29.  My
own archives of the NOAA/USAF daily 45 day forecast for solar flux
and planetary A index are in downloadable spreadsheet format at
//bit.ly/1VOqf9B and //bit.ly/1DcpaC5 .  Sunspot numbers were 35,
22, 11, 46, 38, 65, and 86, with a mean of 43.3. 10.7 cm flux was
76.8, 76.6, 78.7, 81.8, 81.9, 85.2, and 92.6, with a mean of 81.9.
Estimated planetary A indices were 5, 13, 12, 11, 8, 7, and 10, with
a mean of 9.4.  Estimated mid latitude A indices were 23, 13, 11,
11, 6, 6, and 11, with a mean of 11.6.

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