People across the UK are “likely” to be able to spot the Northern Lights in the sky tonight, according to experts.
A red aurora alert has been issued for Wednesday night by physicists at Lancaster University, who monitor geomagnetic activity to predict when Brits are most likely to spot the colourful spectacle.
Weather experts from the Met Office also said the onset of “fast solar winds” as well as a possible solar phenomenon known as a coronal mass ejection (CME) could mean the aurora borealis is visible to Brits tonight.
Red alert: aurora likely. Issued 2025-12-03 18:18 UTC by @aurorawatchuk. #aurora pic.twitter.com/IVnVgvBcZm
— AuroraWatch UK (@aurorawatchuk) December 3, 2025
It added sightings are most likely for northern Scotland, with lower chances further south. However, the forecaster also warned it could be a wet night across Northern Ireland and parts of northern England.
A graphic shared by the Met Office showed the probability of the aurora in the sky was at its height at 9pm, before dipping then rising again at 2am on Thursday.
The aurora borealis is a stunning atmospheric phenomenon which happens when CMEs erupt from the sun and travel at speeds of up to several million kilometres per hour. When directed towards Earth, they can interact with the planet’s magnetic field, triggering geomagnetic storms, which in turn can produce displays of the aurora.
The famous lights, which are most commonly seen in the auroral oval around Iceland, appear as astonishing colourful lights in the sky. The colour of the light depends on the molecules affected, according to the British Geological Survey. Oxygen, nitrogen and other gases in the atmosphere have their own particular colours, which result in the range of blues, greens, yellows and reds observed in the aurora.
The onset of fast solar winds and a possible CME reaching Earth means that aurora sightings are possible tonight
— Met Office (@metoffice) December 3, 2025
This is most likely for northern Scotland with lower chances further south
Look to the northern horizon and take a peek ✨ pic.twitter.com/wDKxdMFID5
Scientists at Lancaster University issued the alert at 6:18pm on Wednesday, and said the red alert means: "It is likely that aurora will be visible by eye and camera from anywhere in the UK."
The chart shows the activity measured in nanotesla which is the unit for magnetic field strength. This evening it reached around 280nT.
The Northern Lights were last visible in the UK last month, when they were spotted for several nights, particularly in the north of England.
