Northern Lights to return to UK tonight as means Brits can spot them detailed

Another chance to see the Northern Lights has been confirmed by the Met Office who say a specific spot in the UK will be ideal for seeing the aurora borealis.

Keen stargazers were up late on Saturday night (May 11), with many venturing out to scenic spots in hopes of catching the aurora borealis. Although it wasn’t quite as jaw-dropping as Friday’s show, there is yet another chance to see the lights, MyLondon reported.

A weather boffin has hinted that the UK might be treated to a third evening of the celestial light show, thanks to another geomagnetic storm kicking off. Weather guru Liam Dutton took to Twitter/X and wrote: “Further coronal mass ejections (CMEs) expected to arrive on Sunday. This means another strong or extreme geomagnetic storm is likely.”

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He also teased: “Therefore, there may be another UK-wide showing of the aurora borealis on Sunday night – cloud permitting. Geomagnetic activity will increase again today, however, as with last night, peak activity may not coincide with darkness.

“There’ll also be much more cloud around tonight, with clear spells limited. So, the chances of spotting the will be reduced somewhat.”

AuroraWatch UK, a group of scientists, issued a yellow alert on Sunday morning (May 12), indicating that the Northern Lights could be visible to the naked eye in some areas and more widely through camera equipment. This followed a rare severe geomagnetic storm warning from the Met Office for the weekend the first in nearly two decades.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that an “extreme” G5 geomagnetic storm hit Earth on Thursday, caused by a “large, complex” sunspot cluster 17 times the diameter of our planet. The last G5-rated storm occurred over 20 years ago in October 2003, causing power outages in Sweden.

Every 11 years, the sun’s poles reverse, leading to bursts of solar activity that result in the Northern Lights. Scientists predict the next solar maximum will occur at the end of 2024.

Friday’s Northern Lights display was particularly intense around London, but many missed out on this ‘bucket list’ event due to lack of timely information. A photographer has since urged those hoping to capture the lights to change an iPhone setting.

Wil Photography, from Newcastle, took to Facebook and told people to change their phone settings to make for a better photo. He wrote: “If your phone has night mode simply use that and either use a tripod or lean it against something for 10-15 seconds exposure, click on screen to focus on distant bright star and that should work.”

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