Northern Lights shimmer over UK in stunning photos

The Northern Lights have splashed vivid colour across UK night skies once again, with stunning images captured from Scotland to as far south as Kent and East Anglia.

The Met Office had earlier said the lights, also known as aurora borealis, might be seen only as far south as the Midlands.

People are advised to use a long exposure camera to capture the auroras, as the phenomenon is not always visible with the naked eye.

BBC Weather Watchers, readers and viewers have been sending in their photos of the display – here are some of the best along with some agency pictures.

The UK has seen more of the Northern Lights in 2024 than in many recent years.

Aurora displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles.

As they collide, light is emitted at various wavelengths, creating colourful displays in the sky.

The auroras are most commonly seen over high polar latitudes, and are chiefly influenced by geomagnetic storms which originate from activity on the Sun.

Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said increased UK sightings were helped by the Sun being at the peak of an 11-year “solar cycle”.

He said it would still be possible to see the Northern Lights in the UK once the Sun passed the peak, but stargazers should expect a “gradual decline” in visibility.

The auroras have been particularly visible in 2024 due to the biggest geomagnetic storm since 2003, according to Sean Elvidge, a professor in space environment at the University of Birmingham.

Craig Snell, a weather forecaster at the Met Office, said a solar storm caused a powerful flare from the sun on Wednesday, which arrived in our atmosphere on Thursday evening.

He said the strength of the lights would ebb and flow throughout the evening, but the lights may be captured at different times throughout the night.