Brits enjoy Northern Lights as aurora borealis puts on spectacular display

16 April 2025, 14:59 | Updated: 17 April 2025, 08:54

Brilliant displays of the Northern Lights — also known as the aurora borealis — lit up the skies across Scotland on Tuesday night as part of a "coronal mass ejection".

A solar storm intensified the aurora, pushing it further south into the UK.

With solar activity still high, there’s a possibility of catching another glimpse of the stunning display tonight, mostly in the north of the UK on Wednesday night.

However, cloud cover might obstruct the view in some areas, it has been warned.

A geomagnetic storm occurred late on Tuesday night, caused by a surge of solar energy entering Earth’s atmosphere, which intensified the aurora.

AuroraWatch UK reported rising solar activity, issuing first an ‘amber’ alert and then a ‘red’ alert as the night went on.

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Yesterday, the Met Office said: "All eyes to the north tonight

"A Coronal Mass Ejection is forecast to arrive on earth, potentially giving opportunities to see the Northern Lights.

"Strong auroral activity is possible in northern Scotland, but even southern England could catch a glimpse in any cloud breaks."