The Northern Lights are usually only seen in the most northern parts of the UK but for the second time this year they have been spotted in Wales. The Met Office had said there was a chance of seeing the aurora borealis on Thursday evening and they were spotted as far south as Cardigan and over the Brecon Beacons.
Where the skies were clear the spectacular light show was visible unusually far south thanks to a "hole" in the sun's atmosphere. Normally, on the rare occasions they are seen in the UK, only Scotland and parts of northern England and Northern Ireland are treated to glimpses of the electrically-charged particles from space entering the Earth's upper atmosphere at high speed. But there was a stunning display in some parts on Thursday night just a month after large part of Wales saw the phenomenon on the night of Sunday, February 26.
In a very technical description a Met Office forecaster said of the latest display: "Enhancement to the aurora is possible overnight on the 22nd into the 23rd, as geomagnetic activity increases upon the arrival of fast winds from coronal hole 86, although there is some uncertainty on the arrival time which may be later into the 23rd. This may be enhanced further by the passing effects of glancing coronal mass ejections. There is a chance of aurora being visible as far south as southern Scotland in this scenario."
