The geomagnetic storm was the most powerful to affect Earth since March 1989,[a] and produced aurorae at far more equatorial latitudes than usual in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

[10] On 14 May, as the most active region 3664 rotated beyond the sun's western limb, the strongest flare occurred, an X8.7, causing level R3 (strong) radio blackouts.

[21] Three CMEs from 8 May reached Earth on 10 May 2024, causing severe to extreme geomagnetic storms with bright and very long-lasting aurorae.

In North America, aurorae were seen across the United States as far south as the Florida Keys,[24][25][26] as well as from the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico,[27] The Bahamas,[28] Jamaica,[29][30] and Puerto Rico.

[59][60] In Canada, power companies BC Hydro and Hydro-Québec stated that they had prepared for the storm, and monitored it as its ejecta struck Earth on 10–11 May.

[66] Agricultural users of John Deere RTK GPS equipment reported significantly degraded positional accuracy during the geomagnetic storm.

[67][68] University of Victoria researchers discovered that the geomagnetic storm triggered compasses in sub-sea observatories deployed as deep as 2.7 km under the ocean’s surface.

[69] Some aerial drone users flying during the storm experienced unusual behavior, including difficulty maintaining a stable hover, disruption of GPS signals, and in some cases a sudden loss of control which resulted in a crash.

[70][71] Drones rely on GPS and magnetic signals to maintain position during flight, which are affected by geomagnetic activity.