Clear skies for the show: Northern Lights expected across UK & IE

Clear skies for the show
Northern Lights expected across UK & IE

Picture of the Northern Lights, also known as the aurora borealis, shining over Scotland in April 2024.

The Northern Lights were spotted near

in Perthshire, Scotland in April, will tonight bring the same?

The aurora borealis may be visible across the UK and Ireland tonight after the strongest geomagnetic storm since 2005.

US agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), issued the first Severe Geomagnetic Storm Watch on Thursday for 19 years.

The storm will peak on Friday evening, with disruption to electronic equipment possible, and widespread auroras.

A series of solar flares and coronal mass ejections occurred on May 8th, firing solar particles towards Earth.

When these particles hit the planet’s atmosphere, a chemical reaction occurs. Creating the bright colours associated with an aurora.

Tonight, the aurora is expected to spread across the UK and Ireland, widely visible on a night that is mostly cloud-free.

For the best chance of seeing the Northern Lights, find an area free from light pollution and look towards the northern skyline.

Cloud cover on the radar

Did you know you can gauge the thickness of cloud cover on the WeatherRadar? The more the sun or moon is obscured by the clouds, the thicker it will be in reality.

The further north you are located, the higher the chance of spotting the aurora.

If you are lucky enough to see the show, try setting your camera to a long exposure for more vivid images. We would love to see any shots, send via the Uploader!

Tips: Astrophotography with your phoneread more

Ryan Hathaway

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