Northern Lights could be seen over West Midlands tonight as Met Office shares statement

The Met Office has given a verdict on the Northern Lights being seen over the UK tonight. The lights, also known as aurora borealis, were expected to appear in some areas sometime between this evening (September, 16) and Tuesday morning (September 17).

The lights will be visible in Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as northern parts of England and Wales, the forecaster said.

Met Office spokesperson Andrea Bishop said: "Auroral activity is expected to peak Monday night into Tuesday morning following the anticipated arrival of the coronal mass ejection that left the Sun on Saturday.

"This is forecast to bring aurora visible to the naked eye across Scotland, Northern Ireland, Northern England and perhaps also to Wales and other parts of England where skies remain clear.

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"Lingering effects may then continue Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, once again, with aurora sightings likely across Scotland and perhaps Northern Ireland and parts of Northern England, though generally declining with time."

Aurora displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles, MEN reports. Light is emitted at various wavelengths as they collide, creating colourful displays in the sky.

Andrea added: "It’s not possible to predict how far south the coronal mass ejection may be seen or pick out cities, but in terms of visibility overnight, there are generally clear skies for most tonight.

"However, it will be cloudier across the Northern Isles and western Scotland, with patchy rain and drizzle as well as cloudier skies in Northern Ireland. There’s also patchy cloud for some in the southeast and East Anglia.”

Statistically, the most likely time to see them is between 10pm and midnight, according to AuroraWatch UK. This is because aurora substorms generally tend to peak around that time.