Solar activity could allow rare UK sightings of northern lights
A strong solar storm heading towards Earth could offer stargazers the chance to see the northern lights in parts of Britain this weekend.
The Met Office said space weather experts had issued a rare severe geomagnetic storm (G4) warning for this weekend, the first in nearly 20 years.
The storm, caused by eruptions known as coronal mass ejections, could trigger spectacular displays of aurora across Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of northern England and Wales, the Met Office said.
The Met Office’s Krista Hammond said: “Multiple coronal mass ejections from the sun are expected to reach Earth in the coming days, bringing the potential for aurora visibility over the UK.”
Stephen Dixon, a Met Office spokesperson, added that the combination of enhanced solar activity and clear skies would improve the chances of seeing the display. He added that the majority of the UK is expected to enjoy sunny and dry weather on Saturday, with highs of 26C predicted for the south-east.
Two yellow weather warnings are in place for thunderstorms tomorrow, for western parts of Northern Ireland and large parts of England and Wales.
On Thursday, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a G4 geomagnetic storm watch for this weekend. It said the sun had produced strong solar flares, resulting in outbursts of plasma capable of disrupting satellites and power grids.
An extreme G5 geomagnetic storm in 2003 took out power in Sweden and damaged power transformers in South Africa.