Story perspectives

UK Northern Lights peak at 600 nT, Met Office warns

By Drooid · Oct 12, 2026, 10:27 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

The United Kingdom experienced a nationwide Northern Lights display as geomagnetic activity peaked at 600 nT.
Two glancing coronal mass ejections and a coronal-hole high-speed stream drove the geomagnetic surge.
The Met Office warned clear-sky aurora sightings could continue across the UK until Tuesday.
Residents from Devon to West Midlands reported magical purple, pink and green skies.

History

Historical Context

The 1859 Carrington Event, a solar flare recorded by astronomer Richard Carrington, triggered a geomagnetic storm that lit skies across Europe. The Royal Society noted auroras over London and Greenwich, while telegraph companies reported currents reaching 1,000 amperes, affecting over 2 million telegraph lines, crippling networks. Today's UK aurora, driven by two coronal mass ejections and a high-speed stream, mirrors that historic display, prompting Met Office alerts. The 1859 precedent warns that similar storms could disrupt modern power grids and satellite services, urging preparedness across Europe.

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Story summary

The United Kingdom experienced a nationwide Northern Lights display as geomagnetic activity peaked at 600 nT.
Two glancing coronal mass ejections and a coronal-hole high-speed stream drove the geomagnetic surge.
The Met Office warned clear-sky aurora sightings could continue across the UK until Tuesday.
Residents from Devon to West Midlands reported magical purple, pink and green skies.

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