– It’s almost hard to believe. So wonderful that we get to experience this here in Western Norway! That’s what Eva Kristin Holmøyvik Starheim says, she is one of many in the country who have streamed to balconies and gardens to catch the unusually strong northern lights in southern Norway. – There is a very strong solar wind towards the earth just now, it is due to a strong blowout on the sun that hit us today a few hours ago. There are strong northern lights all over the country, says researcher at the Tromsø geophysical observatory, at the University of Tromsø, Njål Gulbrandsen. The researcher himself gets to see little of the northern lights, he is in Svalbard, and barely sees that there are northern lights on the horizon further south. It is especially from Tromsø and south that the northern lights are strong this evening. Mette Garnes Holtekølen took this photo of the northern lights at Herøy gard on Sunnmøre. Robert Alan Moltu was also out taking pictures of the northern lights this evening. He lives in Haugsbygda on Gursken. Mette Garnes Holtekjølen says she has never seen the pink northern lights before. – Fireworks can only go to bed Mette Garnes Holtekølen was on a walk at Herøy Farm in Sunnmøre when she suddenly saw a pink streak in the sky. – I thought wow, I’ve never seen pink northern lights before, she says. She got a picture taken with her phone, but says she also spent time standing and enjoying the play of colors in the sky. – It was absolutely fantastic. I have never seen anything like it. I am very happy with fireworks, but they can just go to bed after this, she says. It lights up over quiet villages in Jølster in Sunnfjord Photo: Torje Bjellaas / news A taste of what we have in store There is now more aurora activity than that have been for the last twenty years, the researcher states. – The sun has an 11-year cycle, and now we are approaching the peak of activity. It is likely to be a great winter with a lot of northern lights ahead. But not the whole country will enjoy the northern lights this evening, because parts of Norway have cloudy weather, the Meteorological Institute informs. – It is Western Norway, and especially North-Western Norway, that has clear weather. Then there are some patches in northern Norway, otherwise it is mostly cloud cover, says meteorologist Gunnar Noer. The sky made a disco over Sunnfjord this evening. Photo: Torje Bjellaas / news There may be hope in the coming days According to the experts, strong northern lights are also expected tomorrow, and perhaps Thursday. – The northern lights can become so powerful that they may even see it in Germany, says Noer. Unusually strong colors this far south in Norway. Photo: Torje Bjellaas / news
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Enormous northern lights tonight – and the winter can be quite special – news Vestland
