Met Office breaks silence over seeing Northern Lights in UK skies TONIGHT

The Met Office issued a verdict on seeing Northern Lights in the UK tonight. Reports from aurora experts have hinted the phenomenon could be seen once again in UK skies this evening - after being noticeable across the country last weekend too.

A spokesman for the weather service said: “The aurora may become visible perhaps very briefly for parts of northern Scotland where skies are clear before sunrise. Activity expected to decline through the day with no significant activity expected overnight from May 18 into the 19th.

"So unfortunately there is little to no chance of seeing anything in London tonight and only a small chance in northern Scotland towards dawn. There is no aurora expected the following night.” The Met Office spoke out after a "red" weather alert.

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Aurora Watch UK, run by scientists in the Space and Planetary Physics group, in the early hours of this morning initially issued an 'amber alert' for possible aurora. This was later downgraded to a 'yellow alert' for 'minor geomagnetic activity'.

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 back round onto the Earth facing side of the sun," she said. Ms Hammond said: "We're currently at solar maximum and we're seeing more sunspots. If we see more sunspots, we see this increased frequency in space weather and therefore the aurora.'

"It was such a unique set of circumstances that happened last weekend," she added. "The chances of the same sunspots doing the same thing again - It's probably quite slim. I wouldn't be surprised if it comes around and there's some activity on it, but it won't be I doubt, a repeat performance."