THE Northern Lights are set to be visible across parts of Scotland’s skies this Hogmanay, according to the Met Office.
People in some parts of the UK may be able to see the Aurora Borealis after 8pm as revellers prepare to welcome in the New Year.
However, the Met Office said those in Scotland have the “best chances” of spotting the phenomenon but warned that the severe weather conditions might cover it.
The forecaster said cloud coverage could “hamper any sightings” but added there could be spells of clear skies from about 6pm to 9pm on Tuesday.
Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge told the PA news agency: “Although the solar conditions are set fair to see the northern lights, unfortunately the meteorological conditions are not that helpful.
“Scotland should provide the best chances but with unsettled conditions dominating it will be hard to get a guaranteed view.
“Perhaps the best areas may be those along the eastern coast of Scotland.”
An amber weather warning has been issued for parts of Scotland, with heavy rain and snow expected.
Most of the country has also been faced with strong winds and rain as a yellow weather warning is in place until the beginning of the new year.
Despite the poor weather conditions revellers will be hoping to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights as they bring in the start of 2025.
The auroras, which are most commonly seen over high polar latitudes but can spread south, are chiefly influenced by geomagnetic storms which originate from activity on the Sun.
The sun works on a cycle of about 11 years called the solar cycle – with peak sunspot activity on the surface of the Sun referred to as solar maximum.
Sunspots give the potential for Earth-directed releases of large bursts of energy, called coronal mass ejections, which can lead to aurora visibility.
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.
