Northern Lights seen across the UK, with another chance dependent on clear skies
Reports show aurora sightings from northern Scotland to southern England. Monday night may offer another chance, but cloud and changing solar activity matter.
Key points
- Weekend sightings extended into southern England.
- Monday’s outlook is conditional on activity and clear skies.
- Camera images can appear stronger than the view by eye.
Northern Lights displays have been reported across the UK over the weekend, including southern England. ITV’s report on 11 October says another display may be possible on Monday night; that is a conditional forecast, not a promise of visibility from any particular address. ITV News
What was seen over the weekend
BBC reporting describes sightings on Friday and Saturday in places including Cumbria, Wales, Hampshire and Kent. ITV separately reports photographs from the Northumberland coast in the early hours of Sunday and sightings as far south as Kent and Surrey. The reports cover different observations within the same spell of aurora activity. BBC News
ITV quotes Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst as saying activity could strengthen on Monday and potentially extend visibility into central areas. His forecast distinguishes that possibility from Sunday’s weaker outlook. Clear skies remain essential; a forecast of solar activity does not remove the possibility of cloud obscuring the view. ITV News
How to interpret the viewing advice
The BBC advises looking north away from bright streetlights and notes that a phone camera can reveal colours more clearly than the unaided eye. Camera photographs may therefore look stronger than what a person sees directly. Check the latest local weather and aurora information before travelling, because the reports do not establish a fixed start time or guarantee a repeat display. BBC News
Explore related reporting in our Science section.
Photo credit: caroline legg — CC BY 2.0. Illustrations and composition by report.red; photographic adaptation under CC BY 2.0. Archive photograph of aurora in Scotland, May 2024; it does not show the October 2026 display.
