Live aurora forecast

Northern lights Faroe Islands tonight

The Faroe Islands sit at 62°N magnetic latitude. Kp 3 is the threshold from dark positions across the archipelago. Select a location for a local forecast and dark sky guide.

Aurora forecast - Faroe Islands

Unlikely tonight

Kp 1 is well below the Kp 3 from the archipelago threshold. No significant aurora activity is expected at this time.

Current Kp

of 9

Best threshold in Faroe Islands: Kp 3 from the archipelago Ref. latitude: ~62°N mag.

↓ Bz — nT Solar wind — km/s Density — p/cm³ ☁ —% at ref. site

Conditions right now: — Kp + Bz + solar wind + cloud + moon

7-day outlook for Faroe Islands

Today

19 May

Quiet

Tomorrow

20 May

Quiet

Thu

21 May

Quiet

Fri

22 May

Quiet

Sat

23 May

Quiet

Sun

24 May

Quiet

Mon

25 May

Quiet

Based on CME arrival predictions from NASA DONKI. Arrival times ±6 hours. Badges show the best-case location in Faroe Islands.

Aurora visibility by Faroese location

Tórshavn

Unlikely

Capital on Streymoy, Sornfelli summit

~62°N mag. lat. Needs Kp 3+

Gásadalur

Unlikely

Múlafossur waterfall, clifftop village

~62°N mag. lat. Needs Kp 3+

Eiði

Unlikely

Risin og Kellingin sea stacks, north Atlantic

~62°N mag. lat. Needs Kp 3+

Best time to see the northern lights in Faroe Islands

Faroe Islands's aurora season runs from late September through March when nights are long enough for dark skies. The equinox months (September and March) are statistically the most active.

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Faroe Islands aurora at a glance

The Faroe Islands sit at around 62°N magnetic latitude - the same band as the Ålesund area of Norway. Kp 3 is the threshold from dark positions across the archipelago. Outside Tórshavn, light pollution is almost absent, and the compact size of the islands means a dark sky position is never far away. The dramatic cliff, fjord, and waterfall landscapes give aurora foregrounds found nowhere else in Europe.

Weather is the main obstacle. The Atlantic position means cloud and mist arrive and clear quickly, so checking the local forecast hourly matters more here than almost anywhere. When high pressure settles and the sky clears, Kp 3 from Sornfelli summit, the clifftops above Gásadalur, or the north coast near Eiði can produce displays that span the full northern horizon - no specialist equipment required.

Northern Lights Iceland

Iceland overview - comparable latitude, direct flights from the Faroes.

Northern Lights Norway

Norway aurora hub - Tromsø and Bergen.

What Is the Kp Index?

How Kp 3 determines aurora visibility at 62°N.

Aurora Locations Worldwide

Global aurora forecast hub.

Northern Lights Tórshavn Tonight

Tórshavn - the Faroes capital with Sornfelli summit dark sky.

Common questions

Northern lights in the Faroe Islands - where to go, when to go, and what to expect.

Are the Faroe Islands good for aurora?

Yes. The Faroe Islands sit at around 62°N magnetic latitude, putting them in the same band as Ålesund in Norway. The Kp index - a global measure of geomagnetic activity on a scale from 0 (quiet) to 9 (extreme storm) - needs to reach Kp 3 from dark positions across the archipelago. Outside Tórshavn, light pollution is minimal: the compact size of the islands means a genuinely dark sky position is rarely more than a short drive from any village. The main obstacle is weather. The Atlantic position produces cloud and mist that shift quickly, so an hourly check of the local forecast matters more here than in most aurora destinations.

How do I get to the Faroe Islands?

Atlantic Airways operates scheduled flights from Edinburgh, Copenhagen, and Reykjavik, with additional routes from other Scandinavian and European cities in the summer season. The Smyril Line's Atlantic Clipper ferry runs weekly between Hirtshals in Denmark and Tórshavn, with a stop at Bergen - a slower option but suited to those bringing a vehicle. Flight time from Edinburgh is around 90 minutes. From Copenhagen, around two hours.

What Kp is needed for aurora in the Faroe Islands?

Kp 3 is the practical threshold from dark positions away from Tórshavn. The Kp index is a global measure of geomagnetic activity on a scale from 0 (quiet) to 9 (extreme storm). Tórshavn itself produces enough sky glow to raise the effective threshold slightly, so driving even 8–10 km out of the capital makes a significant difference. Sornfelli summit on Streymoy, the clifftops above Gásadalur on Vágar, and the north coast of Eysturoy near Eiði all give clear horizons at the Kp 3 threshold.

When is aurora season in the Faroe Islands?

September to April is the aurora season - the period when nights are dark enough for aurora to be visible. The Faroes are at 62°N, so the summer months bring near-continuous twilight that washes out all but the strongest displays. November through January adds the deepest darkness and the longest nights, though the Atlantic weather is at its most unsettled then. September and March offer a better balance of darkness and reasonable clear-sky probability. A Kp 3 event during a clear autumn high-pressure spell can produce a display visible across the entire northern sky.

Which island is best for aurora in the Faroes?

Each island has strong positions and none is dramatically better than another - the compact geography means the aurora threshold is the same everywhere. Vágar is the most popular for photography because of the Múlafossur waterfall above Gásadalur and the Sørvágsvatn lake illusion foreground, both giving distinctive compositions over the open Atlantic. Eysturoy offers the Risin og Kellingin sea stacks near Eiði - two basalt pillars rising from the north Atlantic with open ocean beyond. Streymoy has Sornfelli summit at 749 m, which clears most coastal cloud and gives a panoramic all-direction view at low Kp.

Northern lights Faroe Islands tonight

7-day outlook for Faroe Islands

Aurora visibility by Faroese location

Best time to see the northern lights in Faroe Islands

Faroe Islands aurora at a glance

Related pages

Common questions

Photograph the Aurora - Recommended Gear