Where to see Northern Lights in UK tonight as forecaster issues rare 'red alert'

25 November 2023 , 20:03

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The Northern Lights are set to make an appearance overnight on Saturday (Image: PA)

Nature's greatest spectacle could be visible from UK skies tonight.

The Northern Lights are set to make a glorious appearance over the country on Saturday night, and could be visible for thousands of Brits in areas with dark skies or good visibility. According to Aurora UK, there is a red alert for this evening, Saturday, November 25.

The red alert reads: "It is likely that aurora will be visible by eye and camera from anywhere in the UK." This means that seeing the glorious phosphorescent tapestry will be highly likely from 6pm onwards.

However, stargazing experts say you must be in an area meeting a certain level of criteria to be in with a chance. Brits should head to areas away from towns and cities with minimal light pollution to catch a peek of the aurora borealis.

Better yet, those living near designated 'dark sky' areas, such as the Scottish Highlands, Northumbria, or Yorkshire Dales should grab their winter woollies and head out for the best chance of seeing them. The phenomena, caused by particle activity from the sun colliding with the earth's electromagnetic field, is a staple on many people's bucket lists but is more frequently seen in Norway, Iceland, and Canada than the UK.

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It won't be the first time the aurora has made an appearance in recent weeks, however. The phenomenon was most recently sighted as far south as Newbury and Basingstoke earlier this month after a particularly vivid solar wind.

Susie Beever