Bathed in colour: Aurora shines over the UK and Ireland

The Northern Lights were spotted across the UK and Ireland on Sunday, and could appear again tonight!

Intense sightings of the aurora borealis were reported across the two countries yesterday thanks to the arrival of a strong solar flare from the Sun.

The natural phenomenon is typically found around the Earth’s poles, however stronger periods of solar activity can result in auroras descending to more southerly latitudes.

In the UK, the aurora can be seen in the far north of Scotland at times of moderate activity in the right conditions.

For the display to be visible as far south as Cornwall is rare and only occurs at times of high solar activity.

In addition to reports in the UK and Ireland, the lights were also spotted in Europe with Weather & Radar users on the continent sending in their views of the lights.

We can expect more auroras in the coming years as the Sun approaches the solar maximum in 2025. This is the point in its 11-year solar cycle at which activity is at its highest.

Further sightings of the Northern Lights are expected tonight however thick cloud cover obscures the night sky for almost all areas of the UK and Ireland.

Check out the WeatherRadar for conditions in your area tonight and to find out exactly how auroras form take a look at our Weather Explained video below.