Northern lights could be visible from the UK this week

Get ready for a spectacular light show

NASA says the northern lights will be visible for many around the world after a solar flare prompted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to issue an alert.

In the UK the Met Office have announced the lights will be visible on Wednesday night (24 July) permitted that skies remain clear.

The Met Office said: "Two Coronal Mass Ejections feature in the forecast, giving a peak chance of Strong Geomagnetic Storm (G3) conditions on Wednesday 24 July.

"This may result in auroral displays down to Northern Ireland, northern England and similar geomagnetic latitudes, albeit impeded by the near-full moon and limited hours of darkness."

SpaceWeatherLive has forecast a Level 6 storm which ranks highly on the scale which ranges from zero to nine.

The current peak of the storm is set for Wednesday into Thursday but this could be pushed back as the storm develops.

For best viewing of the aurora borealis requires clear, dark skies relying on a lack of moonlight as well as minimal cloud clover.

The northern lights occur when charged particles that have radiated from the sun collide with gases in the Earth's atmosphere resulting in tiny flashes which paint the sky in luminous green and red hues.

Usually the light show is only visible on latitudes far north in the artic circle, however, when the Sun becomes particularly active, releasing higher concentrations of charged particles, the lights can become visible significantly further South.

Only at the start of May, the UK was treated to an incredible display of colour, dancing northern lights thanks to a large Coronal Mass Ejections that meant the lights could been seen from Scotland to the south coast.

If people are struggling to get a clear sight of the northern lights, advice follows that a phone camera can help locate the lights as they detect the colourful display more effectively than the human eye.