Northern Lights dazzle over West of England in stunning display
The Northern Lights lit up the skies across parts of the West of England on Wednesday night.BBC Weather Watchers shared photos of the enchanting sight, known as aurora borealis, in Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire between 21:00 and 23:00 BST.It could be seen after a "severe geomagnetic storm", reaching level four out of five on the geomagnetic storm scale, According to AuroraWatch UK.BBC Weather reported the aurora was enhanced due to the strength of the storm, and could be seen across southern England.
It comes after a vibrant display was seen across Scotland on Tuesday, meaning for two nights in a row the spectacle shone across the UK.BBC Weather added more sightings in the coming weeks and months are possible as solar activity remains high.
There have been frequent sightings of the aurora in the UK over the last year.The sun is currently at a "maximum" in its 11-year solar cycle.This means there are lots of sunspots on the surface which are like volcanoes and occasionally erupt. They are also known as Coronal Mass Ejections (CME's) and release extra material and energy out to space.
If directed towards Earth, our magnetic field pulls the energy into Earth, entering our atmosphere at the poles.Fast solar winds are likely on 20 April, according to the Met Office Space Weather forecast, meaning "active" intervals are possible.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Thunderstorms on cards for parts of England and Wales, forecasters say
Thunderstorms are on the cards for many parts of England on Saturday, forecasters say. Plenty of showers may arrive as 'a particularly intense' band of rain charges east through the South and West – '(so) expect sudden downpours, rumbles of thunder, and dramatic skies', the Met Office said. A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms, covering parts of central and southern England and Wales, is in place through to 6pm. In an online forecast, Met Office meteorologist Ellie Glaisyer said this could be when regions are hit with 'the heavier showers, risk of thunder, hail and lightning, perhaps seeing up to 30-35mm of rain across a couple of hours, across much of England and Wales'. The weather warning states that 10-15mm of rain could fall in less than an hour, while some places could see 30-40mm of rain over several hours from successive showers and thunderstorms. Up to 40mm of rain could fall in a few hours in some places – more than in the entire month of May. Met Office data shows England recorded 32.8mm of rain last month – almost half the usual monthly average. Some heavy downpours look set for north-eastern parts of England and eastern parts of Scotland, according to Ms Glaisyer. Sunshine, showers and strong strong, blustery winds are set to reach parts of Northern Ireland and western Scotland. Temperatures are a little cooler than in recent days, with figures of up to 17-18C in the South and only 13C or 14C across much of Scotland. Conditions are expected to improve on Sunday, with a drier day forecast for many, though showers may linger in parts of the North and East.
Western Telegraph
7 hours ago
- Western Telegraph
Northern Lights Wales: Once in a decade display next month
Increasing numbers of displays have been spotted, with more of the country able to take in the spectacular sights. Within the last year the Aurora Borealis has stunned the nation with dazzling light displays being visible as far south as Dorset, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Berkshire. Northern Lights sightings have increased in recent years and the explanation is well known in the science community, the Met Office has said. The aurora is concentrated at the Earth's north and south poles (Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire) Krista Hammond, a Manager at the Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre (MOSWOC), said: 'Activity on the sun, and in particular the number of visible sunspots, varies over roughly an 11-year period, known as the solar cycle.' The last solar minimum, which is when the Sun had the lowest frequency of visible sunspots in the solar cycle, occurred in December 2019. This means that the sun's activity is currently increasing, with the next solar maximum expected around July this year. As a result, more of the Sun's electrically charged particles are travelling towards the Earth and getting caught in its magnetic field, thus producing more of the aurora effect. Krista added: 'Over the coming years, as we continue towards the solar maximum, we can expect to see an increase in the frequency of space weather events, with more chances to see the Aurora Borealis over the UK.' What causes the Northern Lights? The Royal Museums Greenwich explained: 'Solar storms on our star's surface give out huge clouds of electrically charged particles. These particles can travel millions of miles, and some may eventually collide with the Earth. 'Most of these particles are deflected away, but some become captured in the Earth's magnetic field, accelerating down towards the north and south poles into the atmosphere. This is why aurora activity is concentrated at the magnetic poles.' Royal Observatory astronomer, Tom Kerss added: 'These particles then slam into atoms and molecules in the Earth's atmosphere and essentially heat them up. 'We call this physical process 'excitation', but it's very much like heating a gas and making it glow.' Can I see the Northern Lights in the UK? The Royal Museums Greenwich said: 'The aurora borealis can be seen in the northern hemisphere, while the aurora australis is found in the southern hemisphere. 'While the best places to see the aurora are concentrated around the polar regions, the aurora borealis can sometimes be seen in the UK. 'The further north you are the more likely you are to see the display – but heightened solar activity has meant that the northern lights have been seen as far south as Cornwall and Brighton. 'The conditions do still need to be right however. Dark and clear nights, preferably with little light pollution, offer the best chance of seeing the aurora.'
Sky News
2 days ago
- Sky News
Heavy showers at weekend could match May's total rainfall
England could face almost as much rainfall in a few hours on Saturday as it had for the whole of May, according to the Met Office. Forecasters said around 30mm of rain could fall in just three hours in southern parts of the UK, with hail and thunder possible. Up to 50mm of rain could fall over the course of the day. Find out the forecast for your area Met Office data shows England had 32.8mm of rain last month, almost half the month's usual average. It has forecast heavier and more frequent showers on Saturday, as well as some unseasonably strong winds in coastal areas, with a risk of surface-water flooding. Sunday seems like it will be drier, before more rain in northern England on Monday. Meteorologist Honor Criswick said low pressure was behind the wet weather. "At the north of the country this brings in a north-westerly wind, so gradually drags in frontal systems out from the west and south-west, and that leads to some pretty changeable and wet weather at times," she said. 'Changeable' weather ahead The weather for the rest of the week will be "changeable", Met Office spokesperson Andrea Bishiop said. "Generally the theme is the continuation of something a bit cooler, a bit breezy at times, and a bit wet at times too," she said. "We are keeping an eye on a new front which looks like it will move in on Friday night, bringing rain which could be heavy, and possibly thundery at times on Saturday. "Rainfall totals of 20-30mm are likely in places and, at present, this looks like it will affect the southern half of the UK. We are keeping a close eye on this to see how it evolves over the next 24 hours or so."
