EYES TO THE FOR LIGHTS
STARGAZERS in Wales enjoyed a treat as a rare solar storm brought the Northern Lights to the Welsh skies as the whole of the UK saw the hottest temperatures of the year so far.
The Northern Lights, also known as aurora borealis, appeared after the Met Office confirmed a rare severe geomagnetic storm warning for this weekend – the first in nearly 20 years.
The stunning phenomenon was captured in large parts of Wales overnight on Friday, with people catching a glimpse of the rare skies across the country.
In some areas, dozens of people gathered to catch a glimpse of the lights which appeared from around 11.30pm. They were expected to appear again last night.
Aurora displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in the earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles.
The bands of pink and green light were seen across the UK and in parts of Europe after an “extreme” geomagnetic storm caused them to be more visible, according to the US National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The G5 geomagnetic storm, which is considered extreme and the strongest level of solar storm, hit Earth on Thursday.
The cause of this storm was a “large, complex” sunspot cluster, 17 times the diameter of the Earth, according to the NOAA.
Meanwhile, a yellow thunderstorm warning is in place across much of Wales today after the country basked in sunshine yesterday.
Crowds flocked to beaches and beauty spots to make the most of the warm weather on what was the hottest day of the year for the country so far, with Gogerddan in Ceredigion recording a temperature of 25.1°C.