Northern lights will brighten up UK skies tonight as a stunning solar storm moves in.
The lights will be visible as far south as Birmingham and Norwich, according to latest forecasts.
The two Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) erupted from the sun moments apart over the weekend, with the second and largest CME expected to engulf and overtake the initial one just before they reach our atmosphere.
Scientists sometimes refer to the event as a "cannibal CME", with the lights expected to produce spectacular auroras in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
The lights could be visible from Monday night all the way through until Wednesday across most areas of the country.
The Met Office said: "A fast-moving CME that departed the sun late on August 30 is forecast to arrive at Earth late on September 1 or early on September 2.
"Following its arrival, a significant enhancement of the auroral oval is likely, potentially continuing into September 3.
"At peak activity, and where skies are sufficiently dark and clear, aurora may be visible as far south as East Anglia, the Midlands, Wales, and other regions at similar geomagnetic latitudes - without the need for photographic equipment."
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The northern lights were visible in parts of the UK last year
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The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted that the aurora borealis would cover large areas of America, including Michigan and New York.
Southern parts of Australia and New Zealand will also see activity of the southern lights.
Auroras occur when the material emitted from the sun during a CME engages with the Earth's atmosphere.
Once interacting, the aurora produces colourful lights displayed in the sky.
They can be best viewed in areas with minimal cloud cover and low light pollution.
According to the Met Office, the best opportunity to view the lights is in the early morning hours of September 2.
Space weather forecasters have warned that a waxing gibbous moon may partly hinder visibility.
Britons may have to watch the event in and amongst polar winds set to blow in from the north Atlantic, which will drench the UK in the wettest spell of weather since before summer.
The northern lights were previously visible above the Forth Bridge, North Queensferry, in Fife
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Torrential downpours are set to "pile in" this week as cyclonic weather systems rattle autumn's arrival.
Although unsettled weather will arrive on the tail of northerly winds, temperatures will hover close to average.
Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said: "We end up in a Polar maritime air mass with showers coming in from the northwest.
"Western parts are bearing the brunt of the heaviest rain, whereas towards the east and the southeast, there is a greater chance of staying dry.
"There is a bit of a ridge of high pressure and so a bit of a lull into Tuesday, before more unsettled weather comes as various low-pressure systems and frontal systems make their way in from the Atlantic.
"It does look like they are going to pile in from the west, and we are going to have some further spells of unsettled weather."