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The terms solar storm and solar event are general terms for Solar events resulting in outbursts of particles, e.g., a localized increase in solar wind, particularly if sufficiently substantial that it could affect Earth, or spacecraft (or could have affected the Earth if the outburst had been aligned with Earth's position). Among the terms for various kinds of events (not necessarily distinct):
Such activity is termed solar weather, the most common aspect of space weather. The Carrington event is an example of a very significant solar storm. The term solar event when used for the distant past, likely is referring to an event far stronger than solar storms reported in the news. The term sudden ionospheric disturbance (SID) refers to an increase in ionization within the (Earth) ionosphere due to such solar activity.