Home / Weather News /

Now is your chance to see the aurora!

09:30
14 October 2024

Solar maximum
Now is your chance to see the aurora!

The aurora captured on Thursday 10th October 2024 in Mid-Wales. - © Brad Hewitt

If you dream of seeing the northern lights, then this year is your year.

This is because 2024 will be the solar maximum, the period of greatest solar activity. The solar cycle lasts approximately 11 years, with a minimum and a maximum roughly every 6.5 years.

Throughout a solar cycle, sunspot numbers, indicative of solar activity, rise during the solar maximum and decline during the solar minimum, providing a measure of the overall intensity of the cycle. The solar maximum is the highest peak of activity during the solar cycle.

Scientists discovered that the solar maximum, named Solar Cycle 25, is peaking throughout most of 2024, remaining strong into early 2025 too.

The good news from that is, the more solar activity, the brighter and stronger the aurora displays.

In the solar maximum, increased sunspot activity will result in increased solar wind and an influx of charged particles in the atmosphere.

As a result, the chance of frequent and intense aurora displays rises, as does observing the northern lights at lower latitudes, which is exactly what we have already been seeing.

Recent aurora captured by you!read more
More on the topic
Wednesday 15 October 2025

On this day

The Great Storm of 1987
Comet "Lemmon" (C/2025 A6) in the sky at the beginning of October
Friday 10 October 2025

Rare visitors this month

Two comets visible at once
Split weather map showing two forecasts for the UK and Ireland. The left side displays a wind map with a low-pressure system west of Ireland bringing gusts up to 40 mph near Aberdeen. The right side shows a rain radar with blue areas of rainfall moving eastwards from the Atlantic towards Cork, Dublin, and western Britain under mostly cloudy skies.
Thursday 16 October 2025

Weekend pressure change

Return of unsettled conditions
All weather news
This might also interest you
Weather map of the UK and Ireland showing scattered showers with cloudy patches across much of the region, especially around western and northern areas. Sunshine symbols appear over London, Cardiff, and parts of southern England, while temperatures range from 17°C to 18°C in most places. Areas of heavier rain are visible over the Atlantic to the west.
Friday 29 August 2025

Breakfast brief

Unsettled conditions into the weekend
Split weather map showing the UK and Ireland. The left side illustrates strong winds circulating around a low-pressure system, with gusts of 20–30 mph highlighted in orange and yellow. The right side shows radar imagery with widespread blue rain bands and patches of thunderstorms, especially over northern England and Scotland.
Thursday 28 August 2025

Breakfast brief

Remaining widely unsettled
Friday 15 August 2025

Breakfast brief

Split with cooler north, hot south
All articles
Weather & Radar

www.weatherandradar.ie

facebooktwitteryouTubeContact uslinkList
Privacy Policy | Legal info | Accessibility statement