THE Met Office say geomagnetic storms will hit the UK tonight and lead to a visible aurora borealis across northern parts of England.

Tonight (11 October) a coronal mass ejection (release of plasma and accompanying magnetic field from the sun) is expected to arrive at Earth which could lead to “minor to moderate” geomagnetic storms.

This could lead to minor electrical disruptions – but forecasters say it’s also a chance to see the Northern Lights without having to travel across the world.

 

 

Here's all you need to know about the geomagnetic storm - including the resulting aurora borealis and if it will be visible in Lancashire:

What is a geomagnetic storm and should I be worried about it?

While geostorms like this can lead to minor power disruptions, Met Office forecasters have said it “will not impact day-to-day life” and will simply result in a “photogenic opportunity” for those wanting to see the Northern Lights.  

A spokesperson for the Met Office said: “After a period of relatively low solar activity we’ve had something called a coronal mass ejection which occurred on the 9/10th October.

“This basically means that there is a packet of highly charged particles coming our way and can bring some effects to our atmosphere.”

The spokesperson added: “What it really means is that we’ve got a pretty good chance of seeing the aurora borealis tonight and tomorrow night as well.”

He described it as a “relatively strong” solar event rated as a G1-G3 geomagnetic storm in a scale which goes up to G5.

Will the Northern Lights be visible in Lancashire?

People in Scotland stand the best chance of seeing the natural light display – but what about Lancashire?

A spokesperson said: “There is a slight chance it will be seen in northern England. For Lancashire, it’s not out of the question for the Northern Lights to be seen.

“If there isn’t any cloud coverage and you happen to be in an area where you can face north without any light pollution, then you might catch the sight of seeing something tonight.”

What is the weather forecast in Lancashire?

Sadly, a lot of cloud coverage is expected across Lancashire tonight which might make it harder to see the aurora borealis in the sky.

It’s also expected to be chilly with lows of 12 degrees, so make sure to wrap up warm if you plan to watch the skies.

What time will the aurora borealis be visible?

The website AuroraWatch UK, which is run by scientists at Lancaster University’s Department of Physics, predict that the Aurora borealis will be most visible tonight between 9pm and 11pm.

They use uses magnetometers to predict when aurora borealis might be visible in the UK.

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