The Northern Lights could be visible again in the UK tonight, space weather forecasters have said. Also known as aurora borealis, the bands of pink and green light were seen across the UK and in parts of Europe last week after an extreme geomagnetic storm caused them to be more visible, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The latest sun storm activity follows a period of flares and mass ejections of coronal plasma that threatened to disrupt power and communications on Earth and in orbit.
The Met Office’s space forecast said: “An enhancement to the aurora may occur on Monday night (20-21 May) following the possible arrival of a coronal mass ejection (CME) that left the sun late Friday 17 May. The aurora is concentrated at the Earth's north and south poles (Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire) “Following any CME arrival aurora may become visible, where skies are clear, across parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, with a slight chance that views of the aurora may also be possible from northern England and North Wales.” However, the Met Office added that clear skies are essential and the activity is expected to decline, with the likelihood of seeing the lights not as high as in recent weeks.
Met Office space weather expert Krista Hammond said the sunspot region will be rotated back towards Earth in 10 to 12 days’ time, paving the way for further geomagnetic storms and displays of the Northern Lights. “The sunspot region will be be coming b.