KP Index & Geomagnetic Activity

The planetary K-index (KP) measures geomagnetic storm activity caused by solar wind interacting with Earth's magnetic field. For drone pilots, high KP levels can cause compass errors and GPS inaccuracies — a real risk that has nothing to do with the weather forecast.

Check the current KP index →

The KP scale

Level	What it means for flying
KP 0–1 Quiet	No impact on drone systems.
KP 2–3 Unsettled	No impact on drone systems.
KP 4 Minor Storm	Possible minor compass drift — fly carefully and stay close.
KP 5 Moderate Storm	Possible minor compass drift — fly carefully and stay close.
KP 6+ Severe Storm	GPS may be unreliable. DroneChecker shows a Do Not Fly rating at this level.

Where the data comes from

KP data is sourced live from NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center and updates every few minutes — the same data used by aurora forecasters, which is why a high KP reading often coincides with visible aurora at higher UK latitudes.

Why it's easy to miss

Geomagnetic activity is completely independent of wind, rain or visibility — a perfectly calm, clear day can still have an elevated KP index
Compass drift and GPS drift don't always announce themselves — a drone can silently accept a worse position fix rather than failing obviously
It's the one condition on this list that most pre-flight checklists don't include at all

Shooting at dawn or dusk? Check golden hour times for the same location.

Check the current KP index →