#Northern lights forecast full#

#Northern lights forecast full#

Summer solstice – June 21st, the sun is visible for the full 24 hours in the Westfjords and North Iceland.You have a much better chance of seeing it if you travel in winter than in summer.Ĭheck the website for accurate sunset and sunrise projections. In February and October, the night is around 9 hours.ĭue to its proximity to the Arctic Circle, Iceland summertime is blessed with the near-Midnight Sun–however, this means that the aurora is rarely seen in the months of May, June or July. In January and November, the night is roughly around 11-12 hours. The shortest day of the year, winter solstice is only around 4 hours and this means 20 hours of darkness. Make note of the night hours in Iceland:ĭecember has the longest periods of nighttime, around 19-20 hours.

In Iceland, this brisk winter starts around the end of October and carries on into mid-April.

It’s best to hunt down the Aurora in crisp wintertime when the nights are long and the humidity levels are low, so the sky is unclouded most of the time.

Because of the increased daylight hours, auroral activity is most active between late August and early April.

However, here are some factors for you to consider that can increase your chances of viewing: What is the Kp Index?īe aware that the aurora borealis forecast in Iceland doesn’t give absolute certainty as to where and when the Northern Lights might appear, as natural phenomena are entirely out of our control. Together with the cloud cover forecast, this map helps to detect the best time to see the Northern Lights in Iceland. Usually, it’s rare that the scale ranges higher than 8, so be sure to catch the sight of the dancing lights even at low Kp-index numbers. The higher the activity index (Kp number), the more chances you have to witness the mesmerizing aurora borealis. Watch the scale on the right side of the page that ranges from 0 to 9, where 0 indicates that there’s very little geomagnetic activity, and 9 indicates an extreme geomagnetic storm. On this website, you can see the forecast that gauges the Geomagnetic Activity level (Kp index). Light green color indicates a lower chance of auroral activity, while the spots in yellow, orange and red mean that chances of seeing the Northern Lights are very high.Įven though there are plenty of tools to track Aurora activity, one of the most reliable sources is the Icelandic Meteorological Office. It’s a good sign if you see thick areas of light yellow, orange or red on the OVATION Map. The map is updated daily around midnight (UTC). It shows 30 minutes aurora forecast for Northern and Southern hemispheres. NOAA’s Oval Variation, Assessment, Tracking, Intensity, and Online Nowcasting (OVATION) Map can also help you to observe the activity of the aurora in real time.

Angus and the coast of Fife (eg.NOAA’s Current Aurora Borealis Forecast for the Northern Hemisphere.

Galloway Forest Park – the only Dark Sky Park in Scotland!.

Applecross, Lochinver, north of Ullapool)

Lewis, Harris and the most northerly tip of Skye.

Aberdeenshire and the Moray Coast (eg.

Here’s a list of some of the best places to see this marvel: While the northern reaches of Scotland offer better chances of spotting the ‘Mirrie Dancers’, the aurora can be seen anywhere in Scotland when the right conditions are met and where the light pollution is at a minimum. Staying up until the wee hours of the morning may also help. Nights need to be cold and the sky clear of clouds, with limited light pollution and increased solar activity.

Autumn and winter seasons, with their long periods of darkness and the frequency of clear nights, are probably the best time of the year to experience the auroral displays.