January 20, 2026 - 176 views
Residents across North Wales were treated to a stunning natural show on Monday evening as the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) illuminated the night sky in vibrant hues of green, pink and purple, delighting sky-watchers from Eryri to the North Wales coast.
The extraordinary sight — more typically associated with the Arctic — was visible not only here but across Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of England as a powerful stream of charged solar particles interacted with Earth’s atmosphere.
Locals in rural and dark-sky areas reported catching glimpses of the glowing aurora after sunset, with many taking photos to share online. Green shimmer — caused by charged particles hitting oxygen in the upper atmosphere — was the dominant colour, though observers also spotted flashes of pink and red, from interactions with nitrogen.
The spectacle was triggered by an intense Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) — a large cloud of solar particles hurled toward Earth by the Sun — which sparked a strong geomagnetic storm on Monday night. The Met Office confirmed that this rare event was powerful enough to push auroral activity far south of its usual northern latitudes.
Monday’s display wasn’t just local news. Skywatchers right across the United Kingdom reported aurora sightings, and images from as far south as Devon and Cornwall show the lights dancing above the horizon — a reminder of how exceptional this storm was.
According to space weather experts, the Northern Lights occur when energetic solar particles collide with gases in Earth’s magnetic field, releasing light. Oxygen typically creates green and red displays, while nitrogen produces blue and purple shades. These interactions are amplified when geomagnetic activity peaks, as it did on Monday night.
The UK Met Office described the geomagnetic storm as significant — comparable to strong events seen in previous years — and noted that while auroras in North Wales are not unheard of, they are unusually vivid and widespread this time.
Forecasters say the aurora may remain visible again tonight, particularly in northern Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England if skies stay clear, though activity is expected to decline as the storm subsides.
Aurora sightings are best under dark, cloud-free skies away from city lights, facing north after sunset. Even when the lights are faint to the naked eye, long-exposure photography with a camera or a smartphone set to night mode often reveals more striking colours.
For many in North Wales, Monday’s show was a rare and memorable event — one that has already sparked excitement among local stargazers and photographers alike.
