Northern Lights sightings may be possible in parts of UK – Met Office

The Northern Lights may be visible across parts of the UK on Thursday night, the Met Office said.

The lights, also known as aurora borealis, will be observable when it is dark on Thursday evening and the first half of the night, but there is also a slimmer chance of them being seen in the second half.

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Jonathan Vautrey, Met Office meteorologist, said: “We’ve had a coronal mass ejection from the sun in the last few days that arrived to Earth this morning.

“The geomagnetic activity is already happening, but it’s not dark enough to see anything.

“The activity will be continuing throughout this evening and there’s a chance of seeing it.

“You want to be looking to the northern horizon, if you’ve got a clear view of the horizon you’ve got a chance.

“There’s also a chance from the north Norfolk coast, we might see faint images coming from there.

“Tonight is going to be pretty ideal conditions as there’s going to be very little cloud.

“Sometimes it’s easier to see through a camera or telescope if you do have them.”

There is another chance to see the lights on Friday night into Saturday, but at the moment it is looking as if it is going to be weaker than Thursday’s, Mr Vautrey added.

The Met Office posted on X, formerly Twitter, saying: “You might want to look up at the sky tonight because there’s the chance of seeing the aurora.

“Clear skies for most overnight will make for ideal viewing conditions, with sightings possible.”

Aurora displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles.

As they collide, light is emitted at various wavelengths, creating colourful displays in the sky.

In the northern hemisphere, most of this activity takes place within a band known as the aurora oval, covering latitudes between 60 and 75 degrees.

When activity is strong, this expands to cover a greater area – which explains why displays can be occasionally seen as far south as the UK.

Mr Vautrey also advised anyone planning to see the lights on Thursday evening to “layer up” as there is the potential for some frost overnight.

On Friday, there will be sunshine but outbreaks of rain will push in from the North West overnight into Saturday, with highs of 17C in the London area.

Much of southern Scotland, all of England and Wales will stay largely dry on Saturday, with highs of 19C in the south, the forecaster added.

And on Sunday north-west England will likely see rain but temperatures could reach 20C in the South East.