London is really being spoiled this weekend. Not only are we set to enjoy the hottest day of the year as part of a beautifully toasty heatwave (25 degrees, the sweetest of sweet spots that exist), but we might just catch sight of the Northern Lights in the capital city.
Now, you’d normally associate the more nordic regions to be your best bet for catching the Northern Lights, but thanks to the lovely clear conditions this weekend, they could be visible from the entire country, including London. It is particularly unusual to see the Northern Lights at this time of year, as, according to the British Geological Survey, they mostly occur between March-April and September-October.
Simon King, lead BBC weather presenter and meteorologist, has posted about the possibility of catching a glimpse from the UK, saying that charged particles from the sun are ‘hurtling towards Earth’.
While it’s more likely that you’ll see the lights in the North of the England and Scotland, it hasn’t been ruled out, as reported in the Evening Standard, that the entire UK could experience the Aurora Borealis.
“There’ll be lots of clear skies too,” King added. “The geomagnetic storm heading our way will be one of the strongest in a long time, hence the significantly enhanced auroral activity.”
It’s not just the UK enjoying the fun either, with the lights expected to be visible across all of Canada and even reach several US states, including New York. The best time to look to the sky is between 10pm – 2am, according to the British Geological Survey, but the geomagnetic storm could, in theory, happen at any time. Be sure to look to the sky if there are no clouds and make certain to steer clear of light pollution, such as street lamps.
Catching sight of the Northern line Lights this weekend? It might just happen! Keep your fingers crossed that the aurora borealis will show itself – it’s predicted they could be visible tonight (May 10) or tomorrow (May 11).