Britons were able to see the Northern Lights this evening thanks to a severe geomagnetic storm

Stargazers could be in for a treat this evening, with the chance of the Northern Lights being visible across the country due to a severe geometric storm.

Experts warned of massive disruption to power grids, mobile phone networks and GPS satellites from Friday’s storm. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said the “unusual event” could occur, making it the first to hit Europe in nearly 20 years.

On Thursday, NOAA issued a Severe (G4) Geomagnetic Storm Watch, which was last announced in January 2005, when Earth was hit with the most radiation it has seen in half a century. The warning comes after a series of solar flares on Wednesday, which saw multiple ejections of plasma from the sun, were spotted.

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But it means there’s a chance of seeing a spectacular aurora, dancing ribbons of light that captivate viewers on Earth, and today’s clear skies mean everyone in the UK could catch a glimpse.

Mathew Owens, professor of space physics at the University of Reading, has told Britons the exact time they should be looking at the sky tonight.

He said: “Over the last 48 hours we have seen a series of eruptions – known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs) – from the Sun and they appear to be heading straight for us. Our forecast shows six or seven of these eruptions. the accumulation on the way from the Sun to the Earth is a mess right now.”

“Predicting CME arrival time is very difficult, but our best estimate is around 2am (BST, Saturday 11 May) this evening. If you go to bed late or wake up before sunrise, it’s worth looking north as you may see the Northern Lights. A strong aurora is likely for Scotland and northern England (and the weather seems to be cooperating for optimal viewing, it may extend further south, but until we get those magnetic field measurements when the CMEs arrive, it’s hard to tell).

“What’s really difficult is forecasting the likely effects of these eruptions and the impact they might have on communications and power on Earth. That’s because it all depends on the strength and direction of the magnetic field inside the CMEs, and we basically have no information about that until the CMEs pass close-to-Earth spacecraft.”

“The magnitude of this activity is rare but not particularly unusual for the peak phase of the Sun’s 11-year cycle. Earth just so happens to be in the firing line this time.”

The northern lights are normally only visible at latitudes closer to the Arctic, with Scandinavian countries typically able to see the dazzling lights, but good weather conditions mean even people in Cornwall can enjoy viewing it.

BBC Weather presenter Simon King said there was an increased chance of seeing the natural wonder on Friday and Saturday night. “There has been a lot of activity on the Sun, which means charged particles are heading towards Earth (and the aurora) could be visible across the UK tonight and into Saturday night,” he said.

Mr King added that there was a “shorter amount of dark skies” as our days are longer at the moment, but that when it gets dark the skies will be “clear”. He pointed out: “The geomagnetic storm headed our way will be one of the strongest for a long time, hence the significantly enhanced auroral activity.”

And Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon agreed: “Although the shorter nights will limit the window of visibility, there is a good chance of seeing the aurora, particularly on Friday evening and especially in Scotland, Ireland and parts of the north England and Wales. visibility further south if you have the right equipment. These conditions could continue on Saturday night, but we still need to work out some details on the exact venue.