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Northern Lights glow up skies across UK and around the world – see best pictures here

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Northern Lights glow up skies across UK and around the world – see best pictures here

Skies over the UK were turned shades of pink and green as the Northern Lights produced incredible displays for skygazers.

The impressive Aurora Borealis, usually only visible from northern parts of the British Isles, was visible across large parts of the UK overnight, including Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and, unusually, southern England.

The display was triggered after America’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued its first severe solar storm warning since 2005 yesterday as a huge geomagnetic storm raced towards Earth.

The NOAA said the G5 geomagnetic storm, which is considered extreme and is the strongest level of geomagnetic storm, hit Earth on Thursday and brought with it the risk of affecting communications, GPS and power grids.

Aurora displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles.

The incredible display was also spotted across the northern US, Canada, Ireland and Northern Europe.

Chris Snell, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “It is hard to fully predict what will happen in the Earth’s atmosphere, but there will still be enhanced solar activity tonight, so the lights could be visible again in northern parts of the UK, including Scotland, Northern Ireland and the far north of England.”

Will Northern Lights return tonight? Find out here

Here are some of the best pictures overnight from across the UK

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St Mary’s Lighthouse in Whitley Bay. Pic: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire

Northern Lights from Hazlemere, Bucks
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Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire

Northern Lights over Northwood, north west London
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Northwood, northwest London

Northern Lights over Salisbury. Pic: Elena Toms
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Salisbury. Pic: Elena Toms

Northern Lights over Great Malvern. Pic: Callum Welfare
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Great Malvern. Pic: Callum Welfare

Northern Lights from Scotland. Pic: Sarah Mills
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Scotland. Pic: Sarah Mills

Edinburgh
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Edinburgh

Northern Lights from Bournemouth. Pic: Jamie Trowbridge
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Bournemouth. Pic: Jamie Trowbridge

The Northern Lights from West London. Pic: Julia Toms
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West London. Pic: Julia Toms

East Sussex
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East Sussex

Northern Lights from Kirtlington Quarry, Oxfordshire. Pic: Ollie Cavey
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Kirtlington Quarry, Oxfordshire. Pic: Ollie Cavey

Reading
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Reading

The Northern Lights from Watford. Pic: Tom Carroll
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Watford. Pic: Tom Carroll

The Northern Lights, from Hardy's Monument, Dorchester, Dorset. Pic: Sam Williams
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Near Hardy’s Monument, Dorchester, Dorset. Pic: Sam Williams

Northern Lights from Somerton, north Oxfordshire
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Somerton, north Oxfordshire

West Hampstead. Pic: Katie Jay
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West Hampstead. Pic: Katie Jay

High Wycombe
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High Wycombe

Northern Lights from High Wycombe
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High Wycombe

The Northern Lights, from Watford
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Watford

Northern Lights from Windsor
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Windsor

And, here are some pictures of the display last night from across the world

Northern lights glow near Kroschel, Minnesota, US. Pic: AP
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Near Kroschel, Minnesota, US. Pic: AP

In this long exposure photograph, a car drives past and illuminates poplars as the northern lights glow in the night sky above the village of Daillens, Switzerland, early Saturday, May 11, 2024. (Laurent Gillieron/Keystone via AP)
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Above the village of Daillens, Switzerland. Pic: AP

Northern lights appear in the night sky above the Brocken early Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Schierke, northern Germany. (Matthias Bein/dpa via AP)
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Schierke, northern Germany. Pic: AP

Northern Lights flare in the sky over a farmhouse, late Friday, May 10, 2024, in Brunswick, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
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Over a farmhouse in Brunswick, Maine, US. Pic: AP

Northern lights are seen over the lake near Szczytno, Poland May 10, 2024. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel
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Over lake near Szczytno, Poland. Pic: Reuters

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