Northern Lights potentially visible across much of the UK
Northern Lights visible across much of the UK
(about 8 hours later)
The best views would likely be further north but anyone with clear skies should keep an eye out, according to the Met Office
The Northern Lights were spotted clearly in Aberdeenshire
There is a "decent chance" the aurora borealis will be visible across much of the UK on in the coming days, the Met Office has said.
The Northern Lights were spotted across the UK for the first time this autumn on Monday night.
Heighted solar activity could lead to the Northern Lights being visible further south than usual, with sightings possible with the naked eye.
From northern Scotland, north Wales to Norfolk and Kent, the bright colours of the aurora were visible after a strong solar storm.
Although the Met Office cautioned that solar forecasts can change rapidly, and factors such as cloud cover and light pollution will impact visibility.
Space weather forecasters highlighted the chance of aurora on Monday afternoon after satellites monitoring solar activity picked up an eruption on the surface of the Sun – known as a coronal mass ejection.
But those lucky enough to have clear and dark skies could be rewarded "with a rare and memorable display".
The increased solar energy travelled into our atmosphere where it interacted with oxygen and nitrogen and created the purples, greens and red colours we know as the aurora.
BBC Weather said the lights, formally known as the aurora borealis, would be visible across much of England and Wales away from western coasts.
Whitley Bay, North Tyneside
As is usually the case, Northern Ireland and north east Scotland would have the best chance for clear spells of viewing, it said.
Nairn, Highlands
It also advised the public to head away from city lights for the best chance of seeing the Northern Lights and that if the lights were not visible - another way to potentially see them was to use a smartphone on night mode.
While it is not uncommon to see the aurora across northern areas of the UK, it takes a stronger solar storm for them to be visible further south.
The Met Office forecasts that while there will be lots of cloud cover throughout the evening, the Midlands will be most likely to have clear skies, making it potentially one of the best place in the UK for a sighting.
The US Space Weather Prediction Center confirmed there was a "moderate geomagnetic storm" reaching G2 in a scale from G1-G5. They predict we could see a stronger storm up to G3 on Tuesday.
Monday night could offer the best chance for a sighting, but the lights should still be visible throughout Tuesday night.
However, the Met Office Space Weather Centre suggests we could see a G4 severe storm arriving on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.
By Wednesday night no significant solar activity is currently expected, meaning less chance of seeing the Northern Lights.
This would bring a greater chance for seeing the aurora right across the UK, potentially even with the naked eye.
"There's a decent chance of seeing the aurora tonight [Monday] - it may be visible as far south as the Midlands (perhaps even further south)", the Met Office said on social media site X.
By Wednesday, activity is likely to fall back to normal levels.
The lights in Norfolk
Marden, Kent
The Northern Lights are caused by solar winds carrying charged particles interacting with the earth's magnetic field.
The Northern Lights are caused by solar winds carrying charged particles interacting with the earth's magnetic field.
The heightened chance of a UK sighting has been caused by a fast-moving coronal mass ejection, which is a "release of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun's corona", late on Saturday night.
The heightened chance of a UK sighting was caused by a fast-moving coronal mass ejection, which is a "release of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun's corona", late on Saturday night.
Met Office space weather manager, Krista Hammond, said: "As we monitor the arrival of this coronal mass ejection, there is a real possibility of aurora sightings further south than usual on Monday night.
"While the best views are likely further north, anyone with clear, dark skies should keep an eye out.
"Forecasts can change rapidly, so we encourage the public to stay updated with the latest information."
