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Since August 2024, solar cycle 25 has had an erratic intensity decrease, with a sudden peak in May, with up to 136 and 166 solar spots. A significant activity compared to the current official peak of 156.7 sunspots.

The activity in May was highlighted by an X2.7 flare, the strongest of the year to date, multiple M-class flares, and a prominent coronal hole in the Sun's southern hemisphere. The flares caused radio blackouts across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, and auroral displays at mid-latitudes, visible further south than usual.

Right now, the general activity decrease data forecasts a possible solar minimum between 2029-2031. So far, the unusually cold temperatures and even snow in summer may continue or even extend further into the season.

Giant hail and unusually strong hailstorms, as well as unseasonal snow, stole the show this month:
  • West Texas: Massive 6-inch hail during storm.
  • Beijing, China: Egg-sized hail caused widespread damage.
  • Pakistan: At least 19 dead as hailstorm and rains ravage the south.
  • Valencia, Spain: Severe hailstorms leave streets covered in ice.
  • Paris: A massive hailstorm and flash flooding shut down metros.
  • Bulgaria: Hailstones as large as eggs slam mountain areas.
  • Southern France: Hail the size of ping pong balls while violent storms, floods hit.
  • Hidalgo, Mexico: Lemon-sized hail caused widespread damage.
  • Baoding, China: Thick layers of hail covered the wheels of cars.
  • Valencia, Spain: Severe hailstorms leave streets covered in ice.
  • Majorca, Spain: Beaches turned white with ICE after a freak hailstorm.
  • Alexandria, Egypt: Unseasonal hailstorm covered the streets in ice.
In places like Paris, Beijing, and Texas, the weather was already set for big storms with perfect supercell conditions, and the charged particles from flares and CMEs amped up the electric field in these storms. The extra "electric boost" made the storms more intense, and the charged particles could've helped water droplets stick together faster, creating increased precipitation and growing hailstones.

Unseasonable snow events:
  • Pikes Peak, Colorado: 30 inches (76 cm) of snow.
  • Moscow: Late-spring blizzard toppling trees and causing power outages - Up to 6 inches (15 cm) of snowfall.
  • Japan Mountains: Record snow depth of 31 FEET (10 meters).
  • Mt. Hutt, New Zealand: Record snowfall of almost 4 FEET (1.2 meters).
  • Bulgaria: Late May snowfall.
And the increased precipitation continues:
  • Israel: A year's worth of rainfall in one day.
  • Maguindanao, Philippines: 192,000 affected by flooding.
  • Inland Australia: 4 months' worth of rain in 24 hours.
  • Nigeria: 150 people dead after torrential rain and heavy flooding.
  • Northeast US: Sudden flooding swamped schools and homes.
All that, and more, in this month's SOTT Earth Changes Summary:

Or watch on Odysee.

To understand what's going on, check out our book explaining how all these events are part of a natural climate shift, and why it is taking place now: Earth Changes and the Human-Cosmic Connection

Check out previous installments in this series - now translated into multiple languages - and more videos from SOTT Media here, here, or here.