Expert shares best places to see the Northern Lights after magical skies captured across UK

The Northern Lights over Crosby Beach earlier this month
The Northern Lights over Crosby Beach earlier this month -Credit:Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo


Some of the best places to see the Northern Lights have been revealed.

The Merseyside sky was lit up with a beautiful purple and green hue earlier this month. An alert was issued over the weekend that the rare phenomenon, also known as Aurora borealis, could be seen across northern parts of England.

The visibility of the Northern Lights was increased this month because of an “extreme” geomagnetic storm, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). People are eager to catch a glimpse of the rare phenomenon after many incredible images were captured during sightings across May.

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A motoring expert has shared some of the places you could go on a road trip to see the Northern Lights in the UK. Tim Alcock, from LeaseCar.uk said: "The Northern Lights can only be described as one of the most beautiful sights to ever lay your eyes on.

"While you can’t just look out of your window and hope the lights will appear, there are some locations in the UK and Ireland that have higher chances of them showing such as Wales, the Shetland Islands and Yorkshire.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience witnessing the Northern Lights so we highly recommend making the most of the darker nights to view the breathtaking display." The top two locations are regularly visited by people from Merseyside as the Lake District and Isle of Anglesey took first and second place.

Mr Alcock added: "The Northern Lights have been spotted in the heart of the Lake District. The clear skies over Cumbria will make it easier to spot the lights and witness a starry night. Grizedale Forest has been named one of the best spots to get a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis."

On Anglesey, he said: "The largest island in Wales will likely host the Northern Lights over winter as they’ve been consistently on display over the last few years. They’ve also been spotted in Gwynedd, Conwy and Denbighshire."

The top seven spots were rounded out with Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh, the Shetland Islands, Donegal, Whitley Bay and Sandsend.

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