One area of the UK is more likely to see the colourful light display(Image: Andrew Fusek Peters / SWNS)

Met Office issues Northern Lights warning as Brits have chance to spot aurora borealis this weekend

The Northern Lights will potentially return to parts of the UK in the next couple of days, according to the Met Office - with colourful hues set to arrive from tomorrow

by · The Mirror

The Northern Lights could be making a comeback in a matter of hours, with a huge chunk of the UK set for colourful skies this weekend.

It means some lucky Brits may be able to see the bright hues from their homes as early as Saturday night. The Met Office said that a "coronal mass ejection" - a massive release of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun - will potentially arrive on Earth later on tonight, leading to a period of geomagnetic activity.

According to the forecaster, Saturday night has the greatest likelihood of aurora being visible. The aurora may be seen across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England where skies are clear. Space Weather Manager Krista Hammond said: “There is the potential for a coronal mass ejection to arrive at Earth late on Friday or early on Saturday, which could lead to visible aurora for Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of northern England.

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Coronal mass ejections are explosions that occur on the sun( Image: PA)

“In addition, we recently observed an X9 solar flare – the largest of this solar cycle so far. The accompanying coronal mass ejection is likely to arrive at Earth overnight on Saturday into Sunday, meaning that enhanced auroral visibility is possible further south across central England and similar latitudes, though cloud and rain could hamper viewing potential for some.”

It added: "Saturday night has the greatest likelihood of aurora being visible, with a chance that aurora may be visible further south, across central England and similar latitudes. Enhancement to the aurora may persist at higher latitudes throughout the remainder of the outlook period."

The Northern Lights, known scientifically as the aurora borealis, is thought to be one of the most spectacular displays in the night sky. Coronal mass ejections, like the one expected to hit tonight, are similar to solar flares. Both are explosions that occur on the sun, but CMEs are caused by instabilities in the sun's magnetic field, while solar flares are triggered by the sudden release of magnetic energy in the sun's atmosphere.

Solar flares - large eruptions of electromagnetic radiation from the Sun - can last anywhere from minutes to hours, and travel at the speed of light. This means that their impact on the sunlit side of Earth's exposed outer atmosphere happens simultaneously with their observation.