People watching the Northern Lights on the ground.
You can save an expensive trip to Iceland by spotting the aurora from your doorstep tonight (Picture: Getty Images)

There’s a good chance the Northern Lights will make a surprise appearance across England, Wales and Scotland tonight.

Although today marked the official start of summer, Northern Lights can still crop up.

And tonight is your chance to see them as far south as the Midlands, the Met Office said.

The forecaster said: ‘There’s a chance of seeing the aurora tonight, possibly as far south as the Midland and Wales.

Met Office northern Lights map.
A map shows where the aurora zone is likely tonight in the UK (Picture: Met Office)

‘Most likely though, the Northern Lights will be visible for Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland, where clear skies allow

But that is only if you manage to stay up late enough as the best time appears to be around midnight.

So have your camera ready and eyes to the sky tonight if you want to catch the aurora borealis in action.

This time of year is less common for the Northern Lights to be visible.

The peak Aurora season in the UK is from September to mid-March, but the solar phenomenon can light up the sky occasionally in the summer too.

The ideal areas for aurora spotting are around the Arctic Circle in Lapland, Iceland, Canada and Alaska.

However, when geomagnetic activity is intense enough, the auroral zones broaden and spread south toward the equator.

Where is the best place to see the Northern Lights?

If the aurora is forecast in your area, the ideal place for stargazing will be at a rural spot away from light pollution.

North-facing coastlines and elevated areas are also ideal, the Met Office said.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Arrow
MORE: UK marks sunniest spring on record with 630 hours of sunshine

Arrow
MORE: Maps show where and when rain will fall across the UK this week

Arrow
MORE: Couple lost arms holding on to each other as tornado hit their home

News Updates

Stay on top of the headlines with daily email updates.