Scots could see Northern Lights on Boxing Day as aurora borealis set to 'peak'

With the Northern Lights expected to peak on Boxing Day, Scots could enjoy a festive light show. The Met Office space weather centre said despite the aurora borealis being less visible recently, this could be set to change on December 26.

There is a chance the dancing waves of light could be spotted in the far north as the the auroral oval is "likely to see enhancement" on Christmas Day, the meteorological service says. And although not guaranteed, they added that if a coronal mass ejection (CME) and fast wind combine then Boxing Day will provide an even greater opportunity to spot the lights.

Today the weather forecaster said: "The auroral oval is likely to see enhancement at times in this period, initially from a fast wind but on 26 December from a fast wind and potentially a CME, probably resulting in the peak display.

"This may be visible across Scotland and similar geomagnetic latitudes at peak, but this relies on both a notable fast wind and a CME combining, and neither feature is assured."

The Scottish Daily Express reports while Boxing Day is set to be cloudy, the east of the country will hopefully see clear skies in the evening. Christmas night is set to be less cloudy in the west and north.

There was minor activity spotted on Christmas Eve but it did not translate into an auroral display, according to AuroraWatch UK.

What are the Northern Lights and how best to see them

The Northern Lights are the result of disturbances in the magnetosphere caused by the solar wind and cause spectacular light displays in the skies over northern latitudes. The same phenomena can also be seen in the Southern Hemisphere, known as aurora australis.

Light pollution has an effect on the visibility of the phenomena so the Northern Lights are best viewed is remote locations but can sometimes still be visible in cities. In Scotland, they are usually best viewed in Shetland, Orkney, Cairngorms, Outer and Inner Hebrides, and Caithness and Sutherland.

People heading out to try and catch an aurora are advised by Cottages and Castles to...

Check the weather forecast – the best conditions are clear and still nights.

Find a remote area where you are not in sight of street lights, as they can tamper with your view.

Wrap up warmly with several layers of insulation. It is also a good idea to come armed with a blanket, and a flask of hot tea or coffee.

Keep an eye out for unusual light patterns in the sky. Sometimes it can look like a faint flicker of colour, and other times you will have no doubt that it is the auroras.

Take your camera – you will want to try and capture the memory.

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