Northern Lights in Scotland: Met Office issues update on second display tonight

The Met Office has issued an update on the Northern Lights being visible in Scotland this weekend, after forecasters predicted more dazzling light displays.

Last weekend, unsuspecting countries across the world witnessed the aurora borealis as a result of severe solar storms.

The Met Office suggested that the geomagnetic storms arriving on Friday could enhance the visibility of the aurora.

In anticipation of another chance to see the celestial spectacle, many have been eagerly monitoring the skies – but an update from the Met Office suggests this may not be possible, reports the Mirror.

A representative from the Met Office commented: “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.”

Auroras are created when charged particles clash with gases in our planet’s atmosphere near the magnetic poles. As it stands, the sun is now in the most active phase of its 11-year cycle.

Weather expert, Krista Hammond told the Standard: “The sunspot region will be coming back round onto the Earth facing side of the sun.

“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.”

Despite her insights, she lessened expectations for a complete repetition of last weekend’s spectacular show.

In elaborating, she said: “It was such a unique set of circumstances that happened last weekend.

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.

“There are a couple of mass ejections on their way to Earth. They’re a lot less powerful than what we saw last weekend, but they could bring aurora displays across predominantly northern parts of the UK, such as Scotland, Northern Ireland, north of England.”

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