Aurora borealis lights up Scotland's night sky

KilsythCatP/BBC Weather Watchers Shimmering green, red and orange lights of the aurora reflected in water and above trees. — BBC Weather Watchers and BBC Scotland News website readers were among those to capture the aurora, including from Kilsyth.

Aaron Paliczka’s face says it all in a picture taken by mum Emma in Dalkeith, Midlothian.

Emma Paliczka Youngster Aaron Paliczka has a big smile on his face as the aurora appears in green and pink behind him. — Aaron Paliczka’s face says it all in a picture taken by mum Emma in Dalkeith, Midlothian.

Powerful displays of the Northern Lights were visible from across Scotland overnight.

Clear night skies provided the best opportunities for seeing the space weather, also known as aurora borealis.

The lights are caused by charged particles from the sun hitting gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, and overnight were visible as far south as Buckinghamshire and London.

The colours are picked up by cameras, including those fitted to mobile phones.

The aurora glowing green and pink and reflected in a loch at Kinlochard, Stirling.

Reissmcguire/BBC Weather Watchers Green and pink glow of the aurora behind clouds and reflected in the waters of a loch. — The aurora glowing green and pink and reflected in a loch at Kinlochard, Stirling.

A phenomenon called an aurora corona appears overhead in this photo taken from Bathgate, West Lothian.

Georgyman/BBC Weather Watchers Aurora corona visible from Bathgate. Red and green colours appear behind trees. — A phenomenon called an aurora corona appears overhead in this photo taken from Bathgate, West Lothian.

The Met Office said the overnight displays were linked to activity on the sun on Wednesday and resulted in severe geomagnetic storms.

Forecasters said the chances of seeing the aurora would gradually ease through Friday, and would become increasingly confined to northern latitudes by Sunday.

UK sky-watchers on Monday night were treated to the rare phenomenon known as Steve, a relatively new scientific discovery that looks like the aurora.

Its name means Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement.

A beautiful display behind a house in a picture taken in Orkney.

Mrs Brown/BBC Weather Watchers A house with lights on at the front door. Behind it the aurora appears in colours of green and purple. — A beautiful display behind a house in a picture taken in Orkney.

Lairg in the Highlands was among the places were clear views to the lights.

Monika Focht/BBC Weather Watchers An aurora corona appears overhead. There is an electricity pole with cables going from it. — Lairg in the Highlands was among the places were clear views to the lights.

Watch a timelapse of Northern Lights over the west of Scotland

A photo taken from Perth of the stunning night sky.

Pia/BBC Weather Watchers Red and green glow of the aurora behind trees and an electricity pole — A photo taken from Perth of the stunning night sky.

The view to the lights from Loans, South Ayrshire.

SSiglov/BBC Weather Watchers A row of houses with street lights and the aurora behind them. The aurora appears in red, green and pink. — The view to the lights from Loans, South Ayrshire.

Rob/BBC Weather Watchers An aurora corona appears overhead. The colours are green, pink and red. There are tree branches in the shot. — The aurora pictured from Dumfries.

In a forecast earlier this week, British Geological Survey (BGS) said there had been the possibility of a G4 category geomagnetic storm overnight.

G4 is the second highest rating on the scale BGS uses and it signifies a severe storm.

Dark autumn and winter nights offer the best chance of seeing displays – if skies are clear – and there are websites, apps and social media groups providing forecasts and alerts for when they might occur.