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Extract from Daily Telegraph today:-

"A recent Sun flare that has caused a radio blackout has prompted scientists to warn that the Earth will be most at risk from the effects of space weather later this year.....Just after the latest flare the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory recorded the dramatic ejection of material......The Flare on February 5,caused a radio blackout for about an hour.In extreme cases,such storms can induce currents in the Earth and oceans that can interfere with or even damage power transmission equipment.Solar forcaster Essi Ellis said that disruptions will become more common as the solar cycle picks up with a peak expected in mid-2000".

So can we assume that the exceptional conditions reported by Larry Kaiser were related to this Flare on 5 feb.if so there is a delay of one week between the event and the change in propagation! is this unique or has it been observed before?Usually SIDs appear to be associated with increased D layer absorbtion and consequent radio blackouts.Perhaps there is another mechanism in the recovery of the ionosphere from such an event which results in the dramatic improvement in propagation noted by Larry.There must be something about all this in the literature?and it would certainly help to know how long after a flare some changes can be expected.At any rate from the forecasts our best chances are yet to come in mid -2000,so keep up the good work,Larry and all. 73s Laurie. .