A severe solar storm meant that the aurora borealis was visible across many parts of the country overnight, including in Burnham-On-Sea.
The Northern Lights, formally known as an aurora, are caused by activity on the surface of the sun and are usually only visible in the poles or surrounding area.
Burnham-On-Sea resident Elise De viell took several photos from the Esplanade, pictured here, and said: “A couple of pics from tonight’s show on the seafront. Shame it was quite cloudy or it would have been even more impressive!”
Local people took to social media posting photos from Weston, Brean and Highbridge.
Burnham-On-Sea.com also saw the spectacle from the seafront at around 12.30am for several minutes.
The UK has seen more of the Northern Lights in 2024 than in many recent years. Aurora displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles.
As they collide, light is emitted at various wavelengths, creating colourful displays in the sky. The auroras are most commonly seen over high polar latitudes, and are chiefly influenced by geomagnetic storms which originate from activity on the sun.
Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon says increased UK sightings have been helped by the sun being at the peak of an 11-year “solar cycle”.
The auroras have been particularly visible in 2024 due to the biggest geomagnetic storm since 2003, according to Sean Elvidge, a professor in space environment at the University of Birmingham.
