The Met Office issued an extreme space weather alert today
The Northern Lights have lit up the night sky with rare displays across Merseyside. Sightings have been reported in areas including Maghull, Crosby, Hoylake, New Brighton, and Birkenhead.
The Met Office issued an extreme space weather alert today, January 19, warning strong auroras could be visible across the UK on Monday night.
The display follows a colossal solar flare on January 18, which launched a coronal mass ejection (CME) from the sun. The CME is expected to reach Earth late on Monday or early Tuesday, potentially triggering strong geomagnetic storm conditions and pushing the Northern Lights further south than usual.
A Met Office spokesperson said: “A coronal mass ejection is expected to arrive on 20 January, which is likely to give a G3/Strong Storm, with the chance of seeing aurora down to mid-latitudes, depending on the exact timing of the CME arrival.”
Auroras occur when charged particles collide with gases in Earth’s atmosphere near the magnetic poles. Most auroral activity happens within the “aurora oval,” covering latitudes between 60 and 75 degrees in the northern hemisphere. When activity is particularly strong, the oval expands, allowing the lights to occasionally be seen as far south as the UK.
The exact intensity of the Northern Lights will depend on the timing of the CME’s arrival, but skywatchers across Merseyside have already been treated to spectacular views.
ECHO readers have been sending in their stunning photos. Take a look at our gallery below.
