An aurora display has brightened up the UK’s skies as the Northern Lights shone through.
The Northern Lights were visible from the Highlands of Scotlands to South Wales.
Bright colours of the aurora were made visible to the naked eye after a strong solar storm.
The Northern Lights were also seen across much of Europe, with sightings stretching from France to Finland.
The aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights over Derwentwater, near Keswick in Cumbria
PA
Experts believe there could be more opportunities to view the aurora throughout 2025.
Solar activity increased as Britons prepared to welcome the New Year.
A geomagnetic storm sent bursts of energy, charged particles, towards Earth.
The particles entered our atmosphere on Wednesday evening where interactions with oxygen and nitrogen create the vivid colours of the aurora.
Oxygen atoms glow green – the colour most often seen in the Northern Lights.
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This picture taken from the southeastern France village of La Roquebrussanne shows an aurora borealis early on January 1
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Meanwhile, nitrogen atoms emit purple, pink or red light.
For those who missed out on the New Year’s display, the Met Office Space Weather Centre forecasts suggest that another opportunity to see the Northern Lights will soon come.
Another eruption of charged particles is expected to reach Earth over the weekend.
However, cloudy conditions could potentially ruin the moment for Britons.
Aurora Borealis over ski slope in Levi, Lapland, in the new year on January 01, 2025
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The UK’s national weather service has issued a number of weather alerts over the coming days.
Yellow snow and ice warnings will cover large swathes of Britain between Thursday and Monday.
Temperatures could drop as low as -8C, with NHS trusts issuing guidance for Britons to deal with the wintry weather.
The Met Office added: “Turning windy with rain, sleet and snow spreading northeast later on Saturday and into Sunday, turning milder in the south. Colder but drier again on Monday with wintry showers.”