NewsUK NewsMet OfficeThe Met Office said the 'auroral oval is likely to become active later on Thursday evening', with aurora possibly visible across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern EnglandDean Murray11:37, 04 Jun 2026Brits could be treated to a stunning display of the Northern Lights tonight following three massive solar flares.‌NASA reported a trio of eruptions from the Sun this week - and cautioned that they are causing radio blackouts across the world. The Met Office has revealed that the solar activity could mean those in Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England may catch a glimpse of the aurora borealis on Thursday.‌The weather service said: "The auroral oval is likely to become active later on Thursday evening, with aurora likely to be visible Scotland and Northern Ireland, and a slight chance of sightings from northern England, in response to a potential geomagnetic storm. The activity may last into Friday."‌NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft, which watches the Sun constantly, captured images of one of the three flares on yesterday.‌The space agency said: "Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts. This flare is classified as an X1.0 flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength."Such flares are capable of producing Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CME), an enormous burst of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun's corona, the outermost part of its atmosphere. Alongside the unwanted disruption they cause, these events can also generate breathtaking aurora displays.The US government's Space Weather Prediction Centre has issued a strong geomagnetic storm watch for Thursday and Friday, with three CMEs anticipated to make contact with Earth.Article continues belowIt stated: "CMEs are likely to interact with Earth and, dependent upon the orientation of the embedded magnetic field, bring Strong Storm levels."Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌NasaMet OfficeNorthern Lights