Northern Lights may be visible in Hertfordshire this week

The Met Office says that there will be "fast wind from a large coronal hole", as well as a possible "coronal mass ejection (CME) glance", which may bring an enhancement of the aurora.

It is reported that the Aurora Borealis may be visible further south due to this.

If you want to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights, here is everything you need to know, including the best places to see them and how best to spot and photograph them.

Northern Lights may be visible across Essex this week

The Space Weather forecast from the Met Office reads: "The aurora oval is expected to be at or near background levels at first. The onset of the fast wind from a large coronal hole, either on Wednesday, December 3 or Thursday, December 4, is expected to enhance the auroral oval to lower latitudes.

"Following its arrival, aurora may be visible, where skies are sufficiently clear, mainly from northern Scotland, with a lower chance further south.

"A possible coronal mass ejection (CME) glance around a similar time may also cause increased enhancement, with aurora potentially visible further south still."

While the Met Office forecasts cloudy skies this evening, the evening of December 4 into December 5 is much clearer.

The onset of fast solar winds and a possible CME reaching Earth means that aurora sightings are possible tonight

This is most likely for northern Scotland with lower chances further south

Look to the northern horizon and take a peek ✨ pic.twitter.com/wDKxdMFID5

— Met Office (@metoffice) December 3, 2025

The Northern Lights have been visible over Essex various times in the last couple of years, including several times in 2024, making for some great local photos.

What causes the Northern Lights?

The  Royal Museums Greenwich explains how the Northern Lights are formed.

It said: “Solar storms on our star's surface give out huge clouds of electrically charged particles. These particles can travel millions of miles, and some may eventually collide with the Earth.

“Most of these particles are deflected away, but some become captured in the Earth’s magnetic field, accelerating down towards the north and south poles into the atmosphere. This is why aurora activity is concentrated at the magnetic poles.”

Royal Observatory astronomer, Tom Kerss, added: “These particles then slam into atoms and molecules in the Earth’s atmosphere and essentially heat them up.

“We call this physical process ‘excitation’, but it’s very much like heating a gas and making it glow."

Tips for spotting the Northern Lights

Iceland is one of the world’s prime spots for viewing the Northern Lights, located near the Arctic Circle.

However, it can also be viewed across parts of the UK during periods of strong space weather conditions.

Expert Gísli S. Brynjólfsson, director of global marketing at Icelandair , said September to March is peak viewing time, due to the days being the darkest and shortest, translating to "northern lights peak viewing time".

Tips for Night Sky Photos on Your Phone

Expert Brynjólfsson adds: "Generally, 9pm until 2am is considered peak time.

"The lights also tend to get more visible as the night goes on, so the show can be a long but extremely rewarding one."

If you are looking to spot the Northern Lights, it is best to do it away from light pollution.

Recommended reading:

• How can you take a photo of the Northern Lights? A guide for beginners
• Why have Northern Lights sightings become more frequent in recent years?
• Can the Northern Lights be seen with the naked eye? All you need to know

How to take the best pictures of the Northern Lights

Icelandair has also shared some top tips on the best iPhone settings to use to capture the best pictures of the Northern Lights.

1. Enable night mode on your device (this usually appears in a low-lit setting as an icon in the top left corner next to the flash)
2. Turn off the flash setting
3. Enable max. exposure by tapping the arrow at the top of the screen to open the settings menu, which will appear at the bottom. Here, you’ll find the exposure setting, represented by the night mode icon
4. Tap the +/- icon in the same menu to adjust the exposure level to a negative value. Finding the correct setting will take some trial and error, but -0.7 is a good starting point
5. Rotate your iPhone horizontally to capture a wider image. Try to keep your hands as still as possible or consider using a tripod to avoid any blurry images

Between 9pm and 2am is the peak time you can expect to see the Northern Lights.