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Home / Editor's Pick /

Solar storm hits Earth - Spectacular Northern Lights display

09:00
20 January 2026

Solar storm hits Earth
Spectacular Northern Lights display

Bright green aurora arc sweeping across a dark night sky, with faint stars visible and black silhouettes of trees and low hills along the horizon.Night sky filled with green aurora curtains and a red glow to the right, with stars visible above silhouetted rooftops, power lines, and softly lit houses below.Night sky glowing with vivid red aurora above and soft green aurora below, dotted with small stars and framed by the silhouette of a leafless tree and rooftops at the bottom.Night sky filled with deep red aurora glow fading into pale green near the horizon, with scattered stars visible through thin cloud layers.Wide night view of a town on a hillside with house lights below, beneath a star-filled sky glowing deep red above and bright green along the horizon from an aurora display.
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A vibrant display was seen over Connemara, Co. Galway. - © Pat Leonard

A powerful solar storm hit Earth on Monday evening. The Northern Lights were visible over the UK and Ireland despite cloud cover, and across Central Europe down to the Alps.

Monday evening saw the strongest solar radiation storm for over two decades, with the last storm of this strength being recorded in 2003.

The sky was clear and starry, especially in Central and Eastern Europe. In most regions of the UK, Ireland, and France, however, thick clouds obscured the view of this spectacular event.

Weather & Radar editorial team
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