The northern lights were seen above Sussex on Sunday night, and a meteorology enthusiast from Crowborough was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the colourful phenomenon.

It comes after the Met Office forecast the rare meteorological event on Sunday evening, with more predicted for Monday night.

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Meteorology enthusiast Sam said he was “amazed and in awe” when he spotted the northern lights from Gills Lap in Ashdown Forest, close to East Grinstead.

The 29-year-old said: “I had planned to go see the lights on Sunday evening, however it was still highly unlikely as conditions had to be just right for them to be observed this far south.

“I have seen historical reports of the northern lights this far south but never thought I would see it in person.”

The spectacle lasted around ten minutes, and was even visible to his naked eye. He added: “The picture was nothing more than a ten second exposure on my iPhone 13. I was amazed and in awe when I first saw them.”

Sam said he planned ahead to witness the display on Sunday (Image: Sam)

Garden centre manager Sam, who did not want to give his last name, is a self-taught meteorology enthusiast.

He added: “I found out about this from my own knowledge. A lot of satellite data is open for public use and I tracked the solar flare and the cloud of plasma it ejected.

“The US Government and the Met Office also use satellite imagery to produce a forecast as to when the cloud of plasma will hit earth. 

“Using satellite data, we can get a good 50 minute or so indication as to when the plasma cloud, or coronal mass ejection, will hit.

“I saw the solar wind was very favourable as the coronal mass ejection hit the satellite, so I headed out, and 50 or so minutes later I was looking at the northern lights.”

The northern lights seen from a track near Gills Lap (Image: Sam)

The aurora borealis was seen up and down the country, from the north of Scotland to Cornwall.

It is a rare phenomenon, typically only seen at the poles, where charged particles from the sun collide with gas particles in the earth’s atmosphere, which then interact with the magnetic field from the planet.

The Aurora Borealis may be visible as far south as central England tonight where skies remain clear

The Northern Lights are also likely to be seen again on Monday night pic.twitter.com/EBedkN8ytd

— Met Office (@metoffice) February 26, 2023

A spokesman for the Met Office confirmed the sightings on social media. They said: “A coronal hole high-speed stream arrived this evening, combined with a rather fast coronal mass ejection, leading to Aurora sightings across the UK.”

“The Northern Lights are also likely to be seen again on Monday night.”

For the best chance of spotting the display, a clear sky away from any cities or light pollution is essential.

Did you see the northern lights? Visit the link below or email robert.collins@london.newsquest.co.uk with your pictures.