Northern Lights may be seen again tonight

BBC Weather Watchers have been sending in their photos - including this dramatic shot taken in Aberdeen

The Northern Lights made a rare appearance across parts of the UK on Thursday night - and may be visible again in some parts on Friday.

The lights - also known as aurora borealis - were seen in the night sky over parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and England, as far as the south coast in Sussex.

For those that missed the spectacle, there may be a slim chance of seeing them again in northern Scotland, as solar activity remains high.

However, BBC Lead Weather Presenter Ben Rich said the aurora will be "mostly confined to the north of the UK" and generally weaker in appearance.

A beautiful night to be camping in the remote hamlet of Carnach, also in the Highlands

Above the coastal town of Anstruther, in Fife

Much further south, this photo was taken in Selsey in West Sussex

Poor weather is also expected to interfere with opportunities to see the Northern Lights.

"Unfortunately, there are likely to be large areas of cloud in these northern areas which could obscure any views," Mr Rich said.

"Even if the skies do clear, the aurora is unlikely to be visible with the naked eye away from northern Scotland."

He advised that the best chance to see the lights would be after midnight, using a phone or long-exposure camera.

• How chilly will it be tonight?

Thursday night's clear skies made for what meteorologists described as "ideal" viewing conditions with very little cloud, despite the colder weather.

BBC Weather's John Hutchinson said the phenomenon had been seen as far south as Kent.

The sky over the Pen-y-Ghent in the Yorkshire Dales, with a limestone pavement in the foreground

The aurora borealis as captured on a smartphone over the beach at Cromer in Norfolk on Thursday night

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.

In the northern hemisphere, most of this activity takes place near the Arctic Circle.

When solar activity is strong, this can expand to cover a greater area - which explains why displays can be occasionally seen as far south as the UK.

In mid-August, the lights were visible as far south as Cornwall, while May saw an equally strong showing across the UK and around the world.

Increased visibility in the UK during these periods was due to the Sun reaching a peak in activity.