Many northern lights have been seen and captured in different parts of mainland Portugal, with the phenomenon being uncommon in our country, and more common in Arctic landscapes, surprising many people from the north to the south of the country.
Images posted by the “Meteo Trás os Montes Portugal” page on social media show that the northern lights could be seen in the vicinity of Coimbra, Chaves, Portalegre, Armamar, Guarda and Lamego, among other locations.
The aurora, which can be polar or southern (depending on whether it occurs in the North or South Pole) is a light phenomenon that occurs in the upper layers of the atmosphere, when particles electrified by the activity of the Sun come into contact with the atmosphere. Heading towards the poles, guided by the Earth’s magnetic field.
The recording of these colorful displays in the skies of the Northern Hemisphere, outside the northern regions, was expected by meteorological authorities. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had warned of “a series of solar flares and coronal mass ejections beginning on May 8” that would lead to this event.
However, the northern lights were not expected to be seen in Portuguese territory, and studies conducted by British authorities pointed to the north of the United Kingdom as the region with the best places to view the spectacle in Western Europe.
Although this phenomenon is rare in Portugal, it has happened before. In November 2023, the aurora borealis in shades of pink were seen in the sky over Figueira da Foz, in Coimbra.
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