North West skies get rare Northern Lights display

The Northern Lights seen from New Brighton in Wirral

Skywatchers across the North West managed to capture images of the rare sight of the Northern Lights on Friday evening.

The lights, also known as aurora borealis, were visible across many parts of the UK, delighting people from across the region.

They were seen in the skies after a particularly strong geomagnetic storm hit Earth, prompting the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to issue a rare solar storm warning.

Photos capturing the magical sight have been shared by people from Lancashire to Greater Manchester and from Cheshire to Wirral.

This "angel" was spotted in the skies above Silverdale, near Morecambe

The last time such an extreme geomagnetic storm hit Earth was in 2003, so the display seen above the skies of the UK on Friday evening was rare.

BBC Weather said what also helped was the clear skies at the time, meaning sightings were possible from almost anywhere in the UK.

The Northern Lights are usually more likely to be glimpsed from Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern parts of England.

The Northern Lights seen from Handbridge in Chester

The Northern Lights were seen in parts of the UK earlier this year and may be visible again on Saturday night.

The Northern Lights seen from a hill in Chipping in the Ribble Valley

The aurora borealis captured in Saddleworth, Oldham