New Northern Lights warning for England on Saturday, 18 May

Londoners are eagerly awaiting the return of the Northern Lights after catching a glimpse of the spectacle last weekend. There is now a warning in place for today, May 18. The Met Office has also declared the best weather conditions to see the Northern Lights in the night sky. There’s also a handy way to keep up to date with when they’ll be visible via notifications on your phone.

According to the Met Office, the best conditions to see the Aurora Borealis are when the sky is dark and clear, as any cloud cover would block the light. It’s best to stay in a remote area as far away from light pollution as possible and look towards the northern horizon. Although this is difficult to achieve in the capital, it is still possible to see the lights over the city.

The lights are best seen the further north you are, such as in Scotland, northern England, northern Wales and Northern Ireland, although due to the solar storm there is also a chance we could see them in London.

READ MORE: What Northern Lights Are and What Causes Them

According to the Met Office: “The best conditions to see the lights are when the sky is dark and clear. Cloud cover will ultimately block the view of the lights. Ideally, the lights can be seen in remote areas, far from any light pollution, facing the northern horizon – north-facing coasts provide some of the best viewing locations. The Northern Lights are most active during the equinoxes and solstices in March/April and September/October.”

Probability of Northern Lights on Saturday, May 18

AuroraWatchUK has issued a warning of low geomagnetic activity this morning, meaning the aurora could be visible in certain parts of the UK.

They said: “The Northern Lights can be seen with the naked eye from Scotland and with a camera from Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland.”

Although London hasn’t been mentioned yet, the highest level of red alert was issued last night to increase the chance of seeing the Northern Lights in England. The day may still be young, but there’s still a chance that another warning will be issued later, or that there’s still time to get on the train.

Is the weather good tonight to see the aurora?

According to the Met Office, the weather is set to have some clear spells this evening, but there is a chance of fog. The forecast reads: “Heavy showers and thunderstorms will gradually ease during the evening and be replaced by drier weather and some clear spells. Low cloud and fog may penetrate inland around the Thames Estuary. Minimum temperature 10°C.”

The fog may affect visibility tonight if there is a chance that the Northern Lights will return, but hopefully the skies will clear enough for a cell phone camera to capture the spectacle.

How to get notifications on your phone so you don’t miss the Northern Lights

AuroraWatch UK is a free service that tells you when the aurora might be visible from the UK. It is run by scientists in the Space and Planetary Physics Group in the Department of Physics at Lancaster University.

You can find the app in your phone’s app store under the name AuroraWatch UK Aurora Alerts. When you download it, you’ll receive a notification on your phone when there is activity likely to result in the Northern Lights. A red alert was issued on Saturday, which you can see in the image above.

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