Week 25 / 2026 | June 15 – 21 | SFI 128 | SSN 40 | A 16 | K 2 | X-Ray B6.2
Summary
Calm after the storm. Following last week’s G3 storm, the geomagnetic field settles markedly: NOAA expects quiet to slightly unsettled conditions throughout week 25 (Kp 2–3, Ap 5–8). That means stable, predictable propagation without the absorption dropouts of recent weeks.
The Solar Flux currently sits at 128 (SSN 40), slightly below recent weeks. Per NOAA’s forecast the week opens around SFI ~118 and climbs back to ~128 by the weekend. No fireworks, but a solid, reliable mid-range — and combined with the quiet field, a good basis for DX.
The real star of the week is not the Sun but the ionosphere: around the solstice (June 21), the Sporadic E season peaks. Daily Es openings on 6 m, 10 m and 4 m are very likely, including multi-hop beyond 3,000 km. The flip side of short nights: on the low bands (160/80 m) the DX window stays tiny.
Band Forecast
Stable, quiet conditions without major disturbances. The upper bands live on the combination of moderate F2 (SFI ~125) and strong Sporadic E during the day. The low bands suffer from the extremely short summer nights and high QRN.
| Band | Day | Night | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 160m | Poor | Poor | Summer break — shortest nights of the year, high QRN |
| 80m | Poor | Fair | Intra-EU only in the brief darkness, heavy storm QRN |
| 40m | Fair | Good | Reliable EU/DX at dusk/dawn, NA from ~21 UTC |
| 30m | Good | Good | Stable all-rounder, consistent FT8/CW |
| 20m | Very good | Good | Main band — long daylight opening, worldwide DX |
| 17m | Good to very good | Fair | Daytime DX to JA, VK, NA — open late into evening |
| 15m | Fair to good | Poor | SFI ~125 marginal — midday F2 plus Es boost |
| 12m | Fair (F2 + Es) | Poor | Weak F2, carried by Sporadic E |
| 10m | Good (Es!) | Poor | Carried by Sporadic E — daily openings likely |
| 6m | Very good (Es) | Poor | Magic Band in peak season — daily openings, multi-hop |
Geomagnetic Forecast
Quiet throughout. No storm in sight — the field stays stable all week (Ap 5–8). The mild Kp 3 peaks at the start and end of the week are harmless.
| Day | Kp expected | SFI Forecast | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, Jun 15 | 2–3 | 118 | Quiet — solid conditions, Es on 6 m |
| Tue, Jun 16 | 2–3 | 120 | Quiet — upper bands good by day |
| Wed, Jun 17 | 2 | 122 | Very quiet — stable DX window |
| Thu, Jun 18 | 2 | 122 | Very quiet — good conditions 40–10 m |
| Fri, Jun 19 | 2 | 125 | Very quiet — flux rising, best DX |
| Sat, Jun 20 | 2 | 125 | Excellent — perfect Es weekend |
| Sun, Jun 21 | 2–3 | 128 | Solstice — Es peak, flux at top |
Recommendations for the Coming Week
- 6 metres is the band of the week: around the solstice the Sporadic E season peaks. Watch the beacons and FT8 (50.313 MHz), then move to SSB/CW. A Yagi makes weaker multi-hop signals workable too.
- 10 m lives on Es: at SFI ~125 F2 alone won’t carry far — but Sporadic E delivers loud, short daytime openings across Europe and occasionally beyond.
- 20 m stays the DX workhorse: long daylight opening, usable worldwide, the evening band for North America. Very reliable with quiet Kp.
- Low bands = early birds: 40/80 m DX only in the narrow twilight window. The shortest nights of the year leave little room — making the grey line all the more rewarding.
- Use the quiet field: after the recent storms, week 25 is ideal for relaxed, predictable DX. Good, stable conditions for contest prep or antenna testing.
- HAM RADIO Friedrichshafen approaches: the 49th HAM RADIO runs June 26–28 — Europe’s largest amateur radio exhibition. Last week to plan!
Week 24 Review and Outlook
Week 24 played out as announced: the G3 storm hit early in the week and noticeably attenuated the upper bands before conditions recovered mid-week. Solar Flux eased from 141 to the current 128 — the recent flux rally (124 → 142 → 141 → 128) is settling at a moderate level, just below the NOAA June mean of ~138.
For week 25 the picture flips: less flux, but a much quieter geomagnetic field. For most modes that’s the better deal — stable, predictable conditions beat high flux with storm risk. Cycle 25 remains active on its descending side; larger flares are still possible at any time.
The highlight of the week is clearly on VHF: summer Sporadic E statistically peaks around June 21. If you’re QRV on 6 m or 4 m, listen every day — the best openings often arrive unannounced in the late morning and early evening.
Live Data
| Band | Tag ☀ | Nacht ☾ |
|---|---|---|
| 160m | Schlecht | Mäßig |
| 80–40m | Mäßig | Gut |
| 30–20m | Gut | Gut |
| 17–15m | Gut | Gut |
| 12–10m | Mäßig | Schlecht |
Further Reading
- MUF Maps (prop.kc2g.com)
- NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center
- HamQSL Solar Dashboard
- DXHeat DX Cluster
- PSK Reporter (live Es openings)
Transparency Notice
This weather report was created with the assistance of AI (Claude, Anthropic) based on current data from NOAA/SWPC and HamQSL. All content has been reviewed by the oeradio.at editorial team. Corrections or additions to [email protected].
