Can you see the northern lights in England tonight?
Live aurora odds for England — tonight's Kp versus the Kp 7 it needs, the Kp for each city, and where and when to look.
Tonight England needs Kp 7; the current Kp is 3.3, so aurora odds over England are low — Cosmik tracks it live, free.
🟠 Low odds over England tonight
Tonight's Kp is below the Kp 7 England needs. Set a free alert and we'll tell you when a storm brings the aurora into reach.
Kp now
3.3
Tonight max
2.7
England needs
Kp 7
Geomag. latitude
48.57°
Live NOAA SWPC data, refreshed every 30 min. Geomagnetic latitude: AACGM-v2.
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✈ TelegramKp needed across England, city by city
The odds shift with your exact latitude — each city page carries its own live verdict:
| City | Needs | Tonight |
|---|---|---|
| Northern lights in Newcastle | Kp 6.1 | 🟠 Low |
| Northern lights in Leeds | Kp 6.5 | 🟠 Low |
| Northern lights in York | Kp 6.5 | 🟠 Low |
| Northern lights in Liverpool | Kp 6.7 | 🟠 Low |
| Northern lights in Manchester | Kp 6.7 | 🟠 Low |
| Northern lights in Sheffield | Kp 6.7 | 🟠 Low |
| Northern lights in Nottingham | Kp 6.9 | 🟠 Low |
| Northern lights in Leicester | Kp 7 | 🟠 Low |
| Northern lights in Birmingham | Kp 7.1 | 🟠 Low |
| Northern lights in Cambridge | Kp 7.2 | 🟠 Low |
| Northern lights in Oxford | Kp 7.4 | 🟠 Low |
| Northern lights in Bristol | Kp 7.5 | 🟠 Low |
| Northern lights in London | Kp 7.5 | 🟠 Low |
| Northern lights in Brighton | Kp 7.7 | 🟠 Low |
| Northern lights in Portsmouth | Kp 7.7 | 🟠 Low |
| Northern lights in Southampton | Kp 7.7 | 🟠 Low |
| Northern lights in Plymouth | Kp 7.9 | 🟠 Low |
Where to see the aurora in England
- Northumberland International Dark Sky Park and Kielder Water — England's darkest skies and its best aurora odds.
- The North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales dark-sky reserves — open moorland with long northern views.
- The Lake District and the Cumbrian coast — go high or go to the shore to clear the hills.
- In the south, only on big storms: Exmoor, the South Downs or Cranborne Chase, facing north away from towns.
Face north. Away from the auroral zone, the aurora shows as a glow or rays low on the northern horizon, often clearer on a phone's night mode than to the eye.
When to look
England sees the northern lights during geomagnetic storms, which can come in any month but are most frequent near the equinoxes (September–October and March–April). The long, dark nights from September to March give the most chances. On the night itself, the best window is roughly 10 pm to 2 am local time; a clear sky and a moonless or late-rising Moon matter as much as the Kp. Aurora forecasts are probabilities — a chance, never a promise.
Northern lights in England — FAQ
Can I see the northern lights tonight in England?
Unlikely: tonight's Kp is 3.3, below the Kp 7 England needs. A free Cosmik alert emails you the moment the forecast reaches it. Updated every 30 minutes from NOAA SWPC data.
Can you see the northern lights in England?
Yes, on the right night. England needs the planetary Kp index to reach about Kp 7 for the aurora to show from a dark site with a clear northern horizon, and less further north — Newcastle needs Kp 6.1. That happens during geomagnetic storms; the live odds above tell you before you drive out.
What Kp do you need to see the aurora in England?
Around 7 for England as a whole, from its geomagnetic latitude (48.57°, AACGM-v2). By city: Newcastle Kp 6.1, Leeds Kp 6.5, York Kp 6.5, Liverpool Kp 6.7, Manchester Kp 6.7, Sheffield Kp 6.7, Nottingham Kp 6.9, Leicester Kp 7, Birmingham Kp 7.1, Cambridge Kp 7.2, Oxford Kp 7.4, Bristol Kp 7.5, London Kp 7.5, Brighton Kp 7.7, Portsmouth Kp 7.7, Southampton Kp 7.7, Plymouth Kp 7.9. The higher your geomagnetic latitude, the lower the Kp you need.
Where is the best place to see the northern lights in England?
Northumberland International Dark Sky Park and Kielder Water — England's darkest skies and its best aurora odds. In general: as far north as you can get, away from light pollution, with an unobstructed view to the north.
When is the best time to see the aurora in England?
Between about 10 pm and 2 am local time, on a clear, moonless night. England sees the northern lights during geomagnetic storms, which can come in any month but are most frequent near the equinoxes (September–October and March–April). The long, dark nights from September to March give the most chances.
Which direction should I look for the aurora in England?
North. From England the auroral oval lies toward the north magnetic pole, so the aurora appears low on the northern horizon first. Pick a spot with an open northward view, away from city lights — your phone's night mode picks up glow your eyes miss.
Aurora forecast elsewhere in the UK
- All of the UK
- Scotland Kp 5.7
- Wales Kp 7.4
- Northern Ireland Kp 6.2
