The Solar Cycle and Aurora: Why Some Years Are Better Than Others
The solar cycle helps explain why aurora activity rises and falls over time, with stronger geomagnetic activity usually showing up more often around solar maximum than solar minimum.
13 countries · 112 local forecasts
Northern lights across Europe
Start under the auroral oval, then follow stronger activity south through the Baltics and into central Europe.
Find a European forecast
Choose your part of Europe
From Arctic destinations to rare storm nights
Northern locations can see aurora during modest activity. Farther south, the same forecast becomes a signal to watch for unusually strong geomagnetic storms.
13 locations
Norway
Longyearbyen · Tromsø · Alta
Open forecast 11 locationsSweden
Abisko · Kiruna · Luleå
Open forecast 15 locationsFinland
Inari · Rovaniemi · Oulu
Open forecast 11 locationsIceland
Reykjavík · Akureyri · Ísafjörður
Open forecast 4 locationsDenmark
Skagen · Aalborg · Copenhagen
Open forecast 22 locationsUnited Kingdom
Lerwick · Kirkwall · Inverness
Open forecast 6 locationsIreland
Letterkenny · Sligo · Dublin
Open forecast 3 locationsEstonia
Tallinn · Tartu · Narva
Open forecast 3 locationsLatvia
Riga · Liepāja · Daugavpils
Open forecast 3 locationsLithuania
Klaipėda · Vilnius · Kaunas
Open forecast 7 locationsGermany
Hamburg · Berlin · Bremen
Open forecast 6 locationsNetherlands
Groningen · Amsterdam · Rotterdam
Open forecast 8 locationsPoland
Gdańsk · Olsztyn · Warsaw
Open forecastLive comparison
All European forecast locations
Sort by latitude or forecast chance, then filter by country to narrow the list.
| LongyearbyenNorway | Low | Medium |
| AltaNorway | None | Medium |
| UtsjokiFinland | None | Medium |
| KirkenesNorway | None | Medium |
| TromsøNorway | None | Medium |
| SenjaNorway | None | Medium |
| AndenesNorway | None | Medium |
| KilpisjärviFinland | None | Medium |
| InariFinland | None | Medium |
| IvaloFinland | None | Medium |
| NarvikNorway | None | Medium |
| SaariselkäFinland | None | Medium |
| AbiskoSweden | None | Medium |
| LofotenNorway | None | Medium |
| MuonioFinland | None | Medium |
| KirunaSweden | None | Medium |
| JukkasjärviSweden | None | Medium |
| LeviFinland | None | Medium |
| KittiläFinland | None | Medium |
| YlläsFinland | None | Medium |
| SodankyläFinland | None | Medium |
| BodøNorway | None | Medium |
| GällivareSweden | None | Medium |
| JokkmokkSweden | None | Medium |
| RovaniemiFinland | None | Medium |
| RukaFinland | None | Medium |
| ÍsafjörðurIceland | None | Medium |
| HúsavíkIceland | None | Medium |
| AkureyriIceland | None | Medium |
| MývatnIceland | None | Medium |
| LuleåSweden | None | Medium |
| EgilsstaðirIceland | None | Medium |
| OuluFinland | None | Medium |
| ÞingvellirIceland | None | Medium |
| HöfnIceland | None | Medium |
| ReykjavíkIceland | None | Medium |
| JökulsárlónIceland | None | Medium |
| SelfossIceland | None | Medium |
| UmeåSweden | None | Medium |
| TrondheimNorway | None | Medium |
| VíkIceland | None | Medium |
| ÅreSweden | None | Medium |
| ÖstersundSweden | None | Medium |
| TampereFinland | None | Medium |
| BergenNorway | None | Medium |
| HelsinkiFinland | None | Low |
| LerwickUnited Kingdom | None | Medium |
| OsloNorway | None | Medium |
| TallinnEstonia | None | Low |
| NarvaEstonia | None | Low |
| StockholmSweden | None | Low |
| KirkwallUnited Kingdom | None | Medium |
| StavangerNorway | None | Medium |
| ThursoUnited Kingdom | None | Medium |
| TartuEstonia | None | Low |
| StornowayUnited Kingdom | None | Medium |
| SkagenDenmark | None | Low |
| GothenburgSweden | None | Low |
| InvernessUnited Kingdom | None | Medium |
| Isle of SkyeUnited Kingdom | None | Medium |
| AviemoreUnited Kingdom | None | Low |
| AberdeenUnited Kingdom | None | Low |
| AalborgDenmark | None | Low |
| RigaLatvia | None | None |
| LiepājaLatvia | None | None |
| AarhusDenmark | None | Low |
| EdinburghUnited Kingdom | None | Low |
| DaugavpilsLatvia | None | None |
| GlasgowUnited Kingdom | None | Low |
| KlaipėdaLithuania | None | None |
| CopenhagenDenmark | None | None |
| Malin HeadIreland | None | Low |
| Derry/LondonderryUnited Kingdom | None | Low |
| Newcastle upon TyneUnited Kingdom | None | None |
| LetterkennyIreland | None | Low |
| KaunasLithuania | None | None |
| VilniusLithuania | None | None |
| BelfastUnited Kingdom | None | Low |
| GdańskPoland | None | None |
| SligoIreland | None | Low |
| YorkUnited Kingdom | None | None |
| LeedsUnited Kingdom | None | None |
| OlsztynPoland | None | None |
| HamburgGermany | None | None |
| ManchesterUnited Kingdom | None | None |
| SzczecinPoland | None | None |
| LiverpoolUnited Kingdom | None | None |
| SheffieldUnited Kingdom | None | None |
| DublinIreland | None | None |
| GalwayIreland | None | None |
| GroningenNetherlands | None | None |
| BremenGermany | None | None |
| BerlinGermany | None | None |
| BirminghamUnited Kingdom | None | None |
| PoznańPoland | None | None |
| HanoverGermany | None | None |
| AmsterdamNetherlands | None | None |
| WarsawPoland | None | None |
| UtrechtNetherlands | None | None |
| The HagueNetherlands | None | None |
| RotterdamNetherlands | None | None |
| CorkIreland | None | None |
| ŁódźPoland | None | None |
| LondonUnited Kingdom | None | None |
| CardiffUnited Kingdom | None | None |
| BristolUnited Kingdom | None | None |
| EindhovenNetherlands | None | None |
| WrocławPoland | None | None |
| CologneGermany | None | None |
| FrankfurtGermany | None | None |
| KrakówPoland | None | None |
| MunichGermany | None | None |
Aurora activity and darkness are included in these ratings. Local cloud cover may still change what you can see.
Plan the rest of your viewing night
Use the methodology and practical guides to understand why the same geomagnetic activity produces very different viewing odds across Europe.
How the forecast worksSee how activity, magnetic latitude, and local darkness become a city rating.How to read an aurora forecastTurn forecast signals into a realistic plan for tonight.Northern lights FAQFind clear answers about timing, darkness, weather, and visibility.Worldwide forecast overviewReturn to featured forecasts across North America and Europe.
Learn
Guides for European aurora nights
Friendly guides for understanding the aurora, planning better nights outside, and knowing when the sky is worth a look.
Can You See the Northern Lights in California?
Yes, but only rarely. California can see the northern lights during unusually strong geomagnetic storms, and even then the best odds are usually in darker northern areas with a clear view of the northern horizon.
What Is a Substorm?
A substorm is a short-lived burst of aurora activity that can make the northern lights brighten, move faster, and become easier to spot for a while.