PEOPLE in Worcestershire MIGHT have a chance of catching sight of the northern lights tonight, according to the Met Office.

Increased solar activity is set to combine with the Earth's magnetic field to create one of the most beautiful natural phenomena, the aurora borealis (more commonly known as the northern lights).

The Met Office says: "As the UK becomes dark tonight there is an increased chance of the aurora being visible as far south as the Midlands.

"The best chance of clear skies is to the west of high ground."

The greatest chance of seeing the lights is likely to be in the north of the county.

You can check cloud cover for Worcestershire tonight here.

Look for a spot away from street lights.

The borealis will usually (but not always) be to the north.

The best time to see it is from 10pm until 2am.

Areas such as the northern tip of Northern Ireland, the Western Isles and parts of North Wales probably stand the best chance of seeing the aurora.

The aurora happens when a charged particle from the sun collides with a molecule in the atmosphere. The molecule is unstable and will give up its extra energy by emitting light, according to the British Geological Survey.

Like a sodium street light which gives off an orange light, the oxygen, nitrogen and other gases in the atmosphere have their own particular colours resulting in the range of blues, greens, yellows and reds observed in the aurora.