How to see the Northern Lights in Northern Ireland: times and best locations for aurora borealis – A solar storm is expected to light up the skies in Britain and Ireland this weekend

The Met Office has announced that the Northern Lights are expected to return to the skies across Britain and Ireland this weekend.

In May, night-sky watchers right across Northern Ireland were treated to views of the phenomenon.

More: What are the Northern Lights and what causes them?

But will they be on show as clearly tonight?

The Met Office has said that the Northern Lights, also known as the aurora borealis, should be visible tonight in Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England.

However, they could also be seen further south, as they were back in May.

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In their latest update, the Met Office’s Space Weather forecast shows that most of Northern Ireland should have around a 50% chance of being able to see the aurora, depending on weather conditions

However, almost all of the north is forecast to be covered in cloud tonight when the Northern Lights are expected to be on display, making chances of spotting the phenomenon low.

The best place to see them – as it stands – looks like a break in the clouds at around midnight between Newry and Castlewellan in Co Down.

There could also be some clearance on the north coast at around 1am.

As per the Met’s latest forecast, the best time to try spot the Northern Lights will be at around midnight.

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Visibility is typically best in places with low levels of light pollution.

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According to the Met Office, the Northern Lights are typically most visible around the Equinox and Solstice in March/April and September/October, so it’s not unexpected for this time of year.

However, this week has seen a series of solar storms, with charged particles from the sun being ejected into space and interacting with the Earth’s atmosphere to create the night-sky phenomenon.