Home / Weather News /

Northern Lights enter peak season

15:30
5 September 2024

In a highly active year
Northern Lights enter peak season

Aurora borealis, Northern Lights, pictured in Solihull, UK in May 2024.Northern Lights pictured in Solihull in May 2024. - © Spencer Salter

It’s time for the bright lights to shine high above as the year’s aurora season begins in the Northern Hemisphere.

While this year has been highly active for auroras already, across the Northern Hemisphere, auroras are best seen between September and April.

The further north you head, the better chance of witnessing the phenomena.

For those of us here in the UK & Ireland who don’t have the time or ability to head to Scandinavia or Alaska can look to a spot closer to home. Northern Scotland rests on the same latitude as Alaska’s Nunivak Island and Stavanger in Norway.

It is possible to see an aurora away from the far north of Scotland, but it requires some luck. Most major cities have too much light pollution, so national parks such as the Lake District are ideal.

The Northern Lights can descend over England, Wales, and Ireland during times of increased solar activity, for example during geomagnetic storms, as we have seen multiple times in 2024.

Meteors and aurora combine over the UKread also
Ryan Hathaway
More on the topic
summer solstice
Saturday 21 June 2025

Summer solstice

Longest day of the year is here
Sunday 22 June 2025

Your weather - Your shots

Radiant lightning strikes and sunrises
Wednesday 18 June 2025

Grab the sunscreen

High UV levels to end the week
All weather news
This might also interest you
Thursday 19 June 2025

Current record 29.4°C

Hottest day of the year so far expected
Monday 23 June 2025

Breakfast brief

Cooler but much gustier
Wednesday 18 June 2025

Breakfast brief

First heat warnings in effect
All articles
Weather & Radar

www.weatherandradar.ie

facebooktwitteryouTubeContact uslinkList
Privacy Policy | Legal info | Accessibility statement