'I'm a weather expert - this is the best way to see the Northern Lights in the UK tonight'
EXCLUSIVE: A weather expert has revealed the best way to spot the Northern Lights across the UK tonight after "quite an unusual year of sun high-activity".
Stargazers in the UK could be in for a rare treat tonight, with the beauty of the Northern Lights potentially reaching many parts of the country on Friday - but a weather expert has highlighted the best tips for spotting it.
Jim Dale, a senior meteorologist at British Weather Services, has revealed his best advice for making sure you have the best chance of seeing the aurora borealis.
Speaking about the phenomenon, he told Express.co.uk: "This has been a very active solar ejective time in terms of what the sun is doing. Solar injections from the sun. Those solar particles reach our upper atmosphere - the thermosphere - at that point, it interacts and they essentially get deflected or even basically disappear because of reaction to atmosphere."
The distinctive wavy patterns and curtains of light that characterise the aurora are shaped by the lines of force within the Earth’s magnetic field.
Will you be out searching for the Northern Lights tonight? Any tips for viewing them? Let us know in our comments section.
But he said "luckily" they don't reach our atmosphere because they are "dangerous particles" that can cause a "high level of radiation". The weather expert explained that it is "unusual for it to come so far down south".
How to spot the Northern Lights
He said: "You have to look north. Usually over the Arctic area. The reason we can see them is the clear air flow and there has to be the right ejection. Yesterday (October 10) got a big one.
"It's hit and miss. If you’re in the wrong place you’ll miss it."
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The best time to see the northern lights
Jim said the best time to see the lights is "a few hours after sunset" but "not immediately after".
He said: "[They likely] won't appear at 7pm in the evening, your best chances are looking when it's pitch black".
This week, the Met Office said: "Aurora sightings are likely across Scotland and Northern Ireland, perhaps across northern England.
It added: “There is a slight chance of sightings across parts of the Midlands or the south of England where skies are clear.”
