General News
The Northern Lights may be visible across parts of the UK this evening, with the Met Office forecasting “ideal viewing conditions”.
The forecaster urged people to “look up at the sky tonight”, with sightings possible across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England.
There is even a possibility the spectacular light display could be spotted from the north Norfolk coast, according to one Met Office meteorologist.
The lights, also known as aurora borealis, are expected to be observable late on Thursday evening and into the early hours of Friday morning.
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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 the spectacular colour displays.
“We’ve had a coronal mass ejection from the Sun in the last few days that arrived to Earth this morning,” Jonathan Vautrey, Met Office meteorologist, said.
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August: Watch Perseids meteor shower in Yorkshire
“The main likely area is Scotland, there’s chances with this particular one possibly from Northern Ireland and northern England as well.
“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.”
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But, he advises that you wrap up warm, with the potential for some frost overnight.
And if you miss them this evening – not to worry. The Met Office says there will be another chance to see the lights on Friday night into Saturday – although they are currently forecast to be weaker.
UK stargazers were treated to a double-whammy of Northern Lights and the Perseids meteor shower last month, with people as far south as Cornwall seeing the display.
People were also treated to a spectacular display in May when large parts of the UK were bathed in shades of pink and green.
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May: Northern Lights illuminate skies across UK
Tips for spotting the Northern Lights
• Those hoping to catch sight of the lights this evening should look to the northern horizon, the Met Office says. “If you’ve got a clear view of the horizon you’ve got a chance,” according to a Met Office meteorologist.
• Head to an area of low light pollution.
• Using a camera or a telescope will also increase your chances, with cameras better able to adapt to different wavelengths than the human eye.
