New chance to view auroras in Victoria tonight as new geomagnetic storm forecast

Meteorologists have forecast another geomagnetic storm to sweep across Victoria, with a good chance it will produce another spectacular aurora display.

Victorians could have another chance to watch an aurora light up the sky, with experts anticipating another weather event to strike tonight.

Only two months after the state’s largest geomagnetic storm in 20 years illuminated the sky in pink, green and purple, meteorologists have tentatively forecast another.

The aurora is expected to be strongest on Tuesday evening, but the Bureau of Meteorology has warned it will not be as profound as it was in May.

Severe geomagnetic storms in May 2024 caused the southern lights to be seen as far North as Mackay and Deb Ford was there to capture them on camera. Picture: Deb Ford

“Auroras are visible as a steady glow or as moving curtains of light in the night sky,” the bureau said.

“They result from the collision of charged particles from the earth’s magnetosphere with atoms in the upper atmosphere.

“These charged particles are accelerated down magnetic field lines towards the earth’s atmosphere in regions around the poles known as auroral ovals.”

The different colours visible in auroras depend on the atoms that participate in the collisions and the interactions that occur with the charged particles, the bureau said.

“Normally, auroras are seen only near the poles,” it said.

“Visibility of auroras at lower latitudes — like southern Australia — usually corresponds with the occurrence of major geomagnetic storms.”

The dazzling pink and green southern lights spectacle was visible in Sugarloaf Creek during the May aurora australis event. Picture: Remi Lezon

Bureau senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said the southwest and central coast of Victoria were the “most promising” spots to catch a glimpse of the aurora.

“We’re going to see partly cloudy conditions across the state, and it’s not to say you won’t see any auroras, but you might be fighting with those cloudy conditions,” Ms Bradbury said to Newswire.

“I think what’s really going to be a determining factor is how much cloud we have lingering. Unfortunately, we do have cloudy conditions over this week.”

Originally published as New chance to view auroras in Victoria tonight as new geomagnetic storm forecast