What Kp index do you need to see the northern lights in Norway?

What Kp do you need in each region?

The lower a region's geomagnetic latitude, the higher the Kp it needs. On the mainland, Kp 1 is often enough in 10 of the 13 regions, and Kp 2 is often enough at every spot.

We count a Kp as “often enough” when our score model gives you an even chance or better of seeing aurora with your own eyes. We take the best hour of a clear, fully dark night, without moonlight and away from town lights. Where a region's spots differ, the table gives the range. The latitudes are the ones our score uses for each spot. Each region name links to its aurora forecast.

What is the Kp index?

The Kp index is a scale from 0 to 9 of how disturbed the Earth's magnetic field is. It is worked out for each three-hour period of the day from magnetometers around the world. The US Space Weather Prediction Center (NOAA SWPC) publishes the current value and a forecast for the next three days.

The higher the Kp, the further south the auroral oval reaches and the brighter the aurora tends to be.

Do you need a high Kp in Northern Norway?

No. Around Tromsø, Kp 1 is often enough, and even at Kp 0 you can sometimes see aurora on a clear, dark night. A higher Kp makes a bright display more likely. Our score weighs that too, so a clear, dark night at Kp 1 scores lower than one at Kp 3, even where aurora is likely.

Why do cloud, darkness and moonlight matter more than Kp?

Kp tells you how active the aurora is. Whether you see it depends on the sky. Cloud can hide the aurora completely. Until the sun is 12° below the horizon, the sky is not dark enough for aurora. A bright moon hides faint aurora but barely dims a strong display.

What does our score use instead of Kp alone?

Our score from 0 to 100 weighs five inputs for each viewing spot: aurora activity, cloud, darkness, moonlight and light pollution. For aurora activity it uses NOAA's OVATION model, the current Kp and, in the current hour, the Finnish Meteorological Institute's magnetometers. For the hours ahead it uses NOAA's 3-day Kp forecast, corrected because it tends to run high.

How the score works explains each input and how we tested the score.

Does Kp matter on Svalbard?

Less than on the mainland. Svalbard lies at about 75° geomagnetic latitude, north of the auroral oval at night, so Kp is a poor guide there. In the polar night the aurora can also shine around midday. Darkness and clear sky matter most.

Tonight's aurora forecast for Svalbard

What Kp is a geomagnetic storm?

NOAA calls Kp 5 or more a geomagnetic storm, from G1 (minor) at Kp 5 to G5 (extreme) at Kp 9. In Northern Norway a storm can fill the whole sky, but you do not need one to see aurora. Further south you usually do, and even then the aurora often stays low in the north.

Our guide for the UK

Aurora forecast by region

Each region page has tonight's forecast hour by hour, its viewing spots and its dark hours month by month.

All 128 viewing spots in Northern Norway and Svalbard

Last updated: 1 November 2026