The north of Scotland has been told to expect another amazing display of the Northern Lights after last night’s lit up the skies.
Skies across the Grampian and the Highlands and islands were illuminated in a sea of bright colours as the Aurora Borealis was on full display.
Stargazers witnessed the sky being lit in various colours, including blue, green, pink and purple, as people went out late at night to get a glimpse.
Although normally only seen in northern parts, last night’s performance of the natural phenomenon was also seen in southern parts of the country.
Officials at the UK’s national weather service the Met Office confirmed that the Aurora Borealis was a “category five” rank, meaning it was the first of its kind since 2003.
Described by a Met Office as being a “pretty unique event”, a spokesman said the reason for this is because the sun works on an 11-year cycle.
They added that the sun is “more pro-active” this year, meaning that people should expect to see more of the stunning displays.
A Met Office spokesman confirmed to The P&J: “We are more likely to see the Northern Lights this year than any other.”
North ‘definitely going to see it again’
And all of this bodes well for stargazers tonight, with it looking like the region is “definitely going to see it again”.
However, it is unlikely to be as spectacular as last night’s display, as it is expected to be a category three or four tonight, rather than the highest rating of 24 hours previous.
The Met Office confirmed: “The northern half of the UK, especially the northern parts of Scotland in particular will have the best chance of seeing it.”
If you are wanting to see the Northern Lights it is likely that they will be on display between the hours of 11pm and 3am.
“Most likely just after midnight could be the best time,” the spokesman for the weather service said.
However, “one fly in the ointment is the weather”, which could hamper people looking for some de ja vu from last night in the north-east.
“The Aberdeenshire coast could have a bit of a disadvantage,” the Met Office has warned, due to sea mist “making its way” northwards up the North Sea coastline of the UK.
Despite this, there is expected to be “plenty” of clear skies around for people to gaze at the Northern Lights.
‘Some low cloud murkiness around the eastern coast’
The Met Office spokesman added: “There could be some low cloud murkiness around the eastern coast of Scotland, however, away from there does look like it should be pretty good.
“It should be really clear conditions and a lot of people should get a good view of it.”
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