Need to know
The UK is on high alert for a potentially “severe” Northern Lights (aurora borealis). display tonight, after a massive solar flare sent a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) directly toward Earth
What to know about the Northern Lights tonight
- The Met Office has issued a Geomagnetic Storm Watch, forecasting a G3 (Strong) or even a G4 (Severe) storm. The Sun is currently at its “solar maximum,” so these events are more powerful than usual, and if it reaches G4 intensity, the aurora could be visible much further south than typical displays – possibly reaching the Midlands and Southern England
- While the CME is expected to arrive anytime from late Monday night into early Tuesday morning, space weather experts suggest the peak window for visibility is usually within an hour or two of midnight. However, because the timing of a CME’s impact is notoriously difficult to pinpoint, it is worth checking for activity as soon as it gets fully dark (about 6pm)
- To see the aurora in the UK, you must have a clear view of the northern horizon. Get away from city “light pollution” – coastal areas, hills, or “Dark Sky Discovery Sites” (like the Peak District, Lake District, or Northumberland) are ideal. Find a high vantage point to look over any low-level cloud or distant city glow
- Even if you can’t see the green or pink hues with your naked eye, your smartphone camera can. Modern sensors are much more sensitive to the aurora’s wavelengths. Set your phone to “Night Mode” or a long exposure (3–10 seconds). If you see a green glow on your screen that isn’t visible to your eyes, the storm is active and may intensify into a “naked-eye” display
- The biggest obstacle tonight isn’t the sun – it’s the British weather. The forecast shows patchy cloud cover across much of the UK. Northern England and parts of Scotland are expected to have the clearest breaks in the cloud late tonight. The South West of England and parts of Wales may struggle with thicker cloud and rain moving in by the early hours of Tuesday.
