Northern Lights could be visible in Britain as far south as Northern Ireland this weekend

Burst of solar activity expected to cause widespread appearance of aurora borealis

The aurora borealis is caused by charged solar particles interacting with gases in the Earth's atmosphere (REUTERS)

Skywatchers have been alerted to look out for the Northern Lights, which could be visible tonight from Scotland and even as far south as Northern Ireland.

A surge in solar activity is expected to cause the awe-inspiring phenomenon to appear in northern parts of Britain.

BBC weather presenter Angie Phillips said the best times would be from Saturday afternoon through to Sunday morning.

“Clear, dark skies are most favourable, with little or no light pollution, so getting out of the towns and into the countryside is best for viewing – weather permitting, of course,” she said.

“Scotland is where the aurora is most likely to be seen, since it is further north.

“But it could be spotted over Northern Ireland, especially around the north coast.”

The Northern Lights – also known as the aurora borealis – is caused by streams of charged particles escaping the sun (often known as solar winds) interacting with the Earth’s magnetic field.

Distortions in the magnetic field allow some charged particles to slip into the atmosphere around the north and south poles.

As they hit gases in the atmosphere the particles make them glow, causing the mesmerising colourful displays in the sky.

The levels of geomagnetic storms are measured on the KP-index scale from zero to nine, the highest level.

For the Northern Lights to be visible as far south as Northern Ireland the storms must reach around KP five or six, Ms Phillips said.

Luckily, these levels are expected to occur thanks to the sun’s burst of activity in a large solar flare later on Saturday.

However, even if the aurora borealis does begin to dance above the UK, skywatchers need to find both a break in the cloud and get as far away from artificial light pollution as possible to soak up the sight.

Another problem is the nearly full moon, which can make it harder to make out the Northern Lights.