Northern Lights set to light up UK skies today – here’s when to see them

• The Sun released a massive M5.8-class solar flare from sunspot region AR4436 on Sunday, triggering immediate space weather events. This powerful solar flare caused a moderate radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean and parts of eastern Africa, disrupting high-frequency communications for aviators and mariners.
• The flare also resulted in a coronal mass ejection (CME), launching a cloud of magnetised solar plasma into space at approximately 650 kilometres per second.
• The CME is expected to pass Earth on Wednesday, with a glancing blow anticipated to interact with the atmosphere, potentially creating aurora displays.
• The Met Office said: "Auroral activity is expected to be mostly at background levels. However, there is the potential for a glancing CME arriving into early UTC on 13 May and also the likely onset of coronal hole fast winds on the 15 May."
• Weather permitting, the Northern Lights could be visible in more southerly latitudes, including parts of the UK, particularly northern Scotland, and northerly parts of the US, according to forecasts.

IN FULL

Sun releases massive solar flare, triggering blackouts and Northern Lights alerts