Northern Lights visible in England tonight as Met Office predicts 'ideal viewing conditions'

Brits are being urged to look up to the sky tonight as the Northern Lights are set to make an appearance and viewing conditions will be 'ideal', according to the Met Office.

The weather agency said clear skies will mean Brits have a good chance of spotting the colourful light display in the early hours of Friday morning. The aurora could be visible in parts of northern England as well as in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

On social media, the Met Office posted: "You might want to look up at the sky tonight because there's the chance of seeing the aurora. Clear skies for most overnight will make for ideal viewing conditions, with sightings possible across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England."

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The Met Office's predictions suggest the Northern Lights could be most likely to appear at around 3am, but sightings could be possible from anytime after it gets dark.

The weather agency's space weather forecast for Thursday night reads: "The auroral oval is likely to become enhanced during the period. A coronal mass ejection (CME) is forecast to arrive at Earth Thursday night into Friday. Aurora sightings may become visible across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England and similar geomagnetic latitudes."

When solar flares, also known as a coronal mass ejections, head towards Earth, the aurora is brought to a lower latitude making it visible from further south.

Further chances to see the northern lights could be coming in the next few weeks as the aurora is usually most active in March and April and then again in September and October.

A clear night with little to no cloud cover is best for spotting the aurora. Once you have found a dark location, where light pollution is low, look toward the northern horizon to try and catch them. They often appear brighter through a camera than they do to the naked eye.

The different colours that can be seen are due to the different gas molecules, and where they are in the atmosphere, the Met Office says. Oxygen gives off green light when it is hit 60 miles above the Earth, while all-red auroras are produced at 100 to 200 miles rare. Nitrogen causes the sky to glow blue yet when higher in the atmosphere the glow has a purple hue.