Northern Lights to be visible across UK tonight due to ‘huge solar storm’ - here's how and when to watch
10 May 2024, 22:04 | Updated: 11 May 2024, 00:03
The Northern Lights are expected to be visible across the country overnight, courtesy of a huge solar storm - here's how you can watch.
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Forecasters say the Northern Lights likely to be visibile across parts of Northern Ireland, Scotland, northern England and Wales.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a rare severe geomagnetic storm warning when a solar outburst reached Earth on Friday afternoon, hours sooner than anticipated.
The effects are due to last through the weekend and possibly into next week.
NEW: Pictured: Stunning Northern Lights visible across the country due to ‘huge solar storm’
With plenty of clear skies in the forecast, there is a good chance of seeing the Aurora across the northern half of the UK, and perhaps further south with long exposure photography 📷
— Met Office Space (@MetOfficeSpace) May 10, 2024
However, as the nights are shorter, the duration of any sightings may be limited ✨ pic.twitter.com/bx1QQG9qF0
The NOAA alerted operators of power plants and spacecraft in orbit to take precautions, as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
"For most people here on planet Earth, they won't have to do anything," said Rob Steenburgh, a scientist with the NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Centre.
The storm could produce northern lights as far south in the US as Alabama and northern California, according to the NOAA.
But it was hard to predict and experts stressed it would not be the dramatic curtains of colour normally associated with the northern lights, but more like splashes of greenish hues.
"That's really the gift from space weather - the aurora," said Mr Steenburgh.
How to capture Northern Lights
He and his colleagues said the best aurora views may come from phone cameras, which are better at capturing light than the naked eye.
Snap a picture of the sky and "there might be actually a nice little treat there for you", said Mike Bettwy, operations chief for the prediction centre.
A spokesperson for Energy Networks Association, which represents the UK's electricity networks, said: "The energy industry plans for a range of events far and wide - including into space."We're monitoring the space weather forecast carefully."
