07 June 2024 , 18:06
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The Met Office has reacted to claims the Northern Lights may be visible to the UK tonight - and it may not be good news for skygazers.
Earlier tonight an amber alert was issued by AuroraWatch UK, meaning there is a "possible aurora" tonight. The announcement gave people in , Northern Ireland and northern England hope they could see the majestic lights show with the naked eye. People elsewhere in the country were told they may also get a glimpse of the incredible sight, which are usually confined to the Arctic Circle and areas far to the north.
However, the Met Office has revealed although there was a coronal mass ejection (CME) - a magnetic storm on the Sun which causes auroras - it has already “peaked”. As a result the chances of seeing the lights in the UK today are not high.
Greg Dewhurst, Senior Operational Meteorologist, said: “There was a CME that arrived a few hours ago, however it seems to have peaked and being light at the moment aurora cant be seen.
“The chance of Aurora overnight remains low, there may be some lingering effects from the CME across northern Scotland. But at this time of year there is a limited amount of darkness, plus some cloud cover around so seeing the aurora remains unlikely.”
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It comes as last month people as far south as Sussex were astounded as they were able to see the northern lights when they became visible after , with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issuing a rare solar storm warning. Such storms increase people's chances of seeing the lights.
The Northern Lights are caused by coronal mass ejections which are large expulsions of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun’s corona. The bands of pink and green light are seen across the UK and in parts of Europe when geomagnetic storm causes them to be more visible, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The sun is currently in the most active period of its 11-year cycle. space expert Krista Hammond said last month: “We’re currently at solar maximum and we’re seeing more sunspots. If we see more sunspots, we see this increased frequency in space and therefore the aurora.”