Home
Weather London
WeatherRadar
RainfallRadar
TemperatureRadar
WindRadar
LightningRadar
Weather News
Editor's Pick
Discover the app
Weather widget
Contact us
Apps
Career
    Home / Editor's Pick /

    Bathed in colour: Aurora shines over the UK and Ireland

14:00
27 February 2023

Bathed in colour
Aurora shines over the UK and Ireland

Aurora borealis
Sunday night's aurora snapped in Talmine, Scotland. - © Dawn Gibson-Hylands

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.

Aurora Borealis
Aurora over bridge
Aurora
Aurora
1/4
The display was also captured in Dunkeld, Perthshire last night. - © Keith Morris

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.

Aurora events
Ryan Hathaway
More on the topic
Equinox marks the start of autumn. Days start to get shorter. . . Wednesday, 23 September 2026
Split image showing Stonehenge in warm sunlight beside a tree-lined park glowing with vivid orange, red, and golden autumn leaves.
Wednesday, 23 September 2026

Days start to get shorter

Equinox marks the start of autumn
Hurricane POLO remains dangerous. Many storms in the Pacific. . . Thursday, 24 September 2026
Thursday, 24 September 2026

Many storms in the Pacific

Hurricane POLO remains dangerous
Warm weather despite the start of autumn. Temperatures worldwide. . . Wednesday, 23 September 2026
Temperature Radar for the Northern Hemisphere
Wednesday, 23 September 2026

Temperatures worldwide

Warm weather despite the start of autumn
All weather news
This might also interest you
Bright and warm conditions take hold. Spring-like outlook. . . Thursday, 23 April 2026
Split UK map showing warm temperatures up to 21 degrees in orange on the left and clear sunny conditions with temperatures from 12 to 18 degrees on the right, with sun icons across the country.
Thursday, 23 April 2026

Spring-like outlook

Bright and warm conditions take hold
Super Typhoon Bavi threatens Taiwan. Up to 1,000 mm of rain. . . Wednesday, 8 July 2026
The image shows an intense tropical cyclone over the western Pacific, east of Taiwan and the Philippines. The centre of the system is depicted as a light purple and white vortex with a clearly visible eye, surrounded by a ring of red and orange areas indicating the strongest wind speeds. A white arrow marks the typhoon’s predicted track towards the north-west, in the direction of Taiwan. To the west of the storm lie the Philippines, with the cities of Manila and Cebu; to the north of these lies Taiwan, with Taipei. Further west, the Chinese coast, including Hong Kong, and parts of Vietnam can be seen. The coloured wind map shows predominantly green areas outside the storm’s core, indicating significantly weaker winds. White streamlines illustrate the typhoon’s anti-clockwise circulation in the Northern Hemisphere. The highest wind speeds are concentrated around the eye of the cyclone.
Wednesday, 8 July 2026

Up to 1,000 mm of rain

Super Typhoon Bavi threatens Taiwan
A stormy week in the skies above. Your weather - Your shots. . . Sunday, 30 August 2026
Split image showing lightning branching beneath dark storm clouds above rooftops on the left and an orange-pink sunset over a calm sea on the right.
Sunday, 30 August 2026

Your weather - Your shots

A stormy week in the skies above
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy Policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

facebooktwittertikToklinkList