Get alerts directly from this site
Every location page on Aurora Tonight has a subscribe button below the forecast card. Click it, allow notifications, and you are done. The site checks the Kp index every 15 minutes. When Kp rises above the threshold for your chosen location, a push notification goes to your device.
The threshold is location-specific. Iceland needs Kp 3. Norway above the Arctic Circle needs Kp 1-2. Most of the UK needs Kp 5-6. You will only be alerted when conditions actually meet the bar for the place you care about.
How to set it up
- 1
Go to a location page
Pick any page for a place you want to watch - for example, /iceland/reykjavik, /uk/galloway-forest, or browse all locations.
- 2
Click the bell icon
The subscribe button sits below the forecast card and 7-day outlook strip. It shows the location name and a bell icon.
- 3
Allow notifications
Your browser will ask for permission to send notifications. Allow it. On iPhone and iPad, there is an extra step - see the compatibility section below.
- 4
Done
The button changes to show alerts are on. You can subscribe on as many location pages as you like - each one is tracked independently.
Device and browser support
Android - Chrome
Full support. Notifications arrive even when the browser is closed.
Desktop - Chrome, Firefox, Edge
Full support. Appears as a browser notification in the corner of your screen.
iPhone and iPad - Safari
Supported, but requires adding the site to your Home Screen first. iOS only allows web push for installed web apps.
- 1. Open the site in Safari and tap the Share button (the box with an arrow).
- 2. Tap Add to Home Screen and confirm.
- 3. Open the site from the Home Screen icon, go to a location page, and subscribe.
Firefox on iOS
Not supported. iOS restricts web push to Safari.
How the alerts work
The site checks the Kp index every 15 minutes using data from NASA DONKI - the same source used for the forecast pages. When Kp rises to or above the threshold for a subscribed location, a notification fires immediately.
Alerts only send on the way up. If Kp stays elevated for three hours, you receive one notification - not one every 15 minutes. The alert means conditions have just crossed the threshold. What happens after that depends on cloud cover and how long the storm sustains.
Each location's threshold is based on its magnetic latitude. A lower threshold means the auroral oval reaches that latitude more easily. You can see the threshold for any location near the top of its page, alongside the current Kp. If you are not sure which location to subscribe to, find the nearest one to you or browse the Finland and Norway pages if you are planning a trip.
Other tools worth knowing
The alerts on this site cover Kp threshold crossings at your chosen location. Some users want advance warning of incoming storms before they hit, or real-time solar wind data during an active event. A few tools are worth adding for redundancy.
NOAA Space Weather alerts
NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center sends email and push alerts based on the official G-scale. Sign up at spaceweather.gov. Set your threshold at the G-scale level closest to your location's Kp minimum. NOAA alerts are useful for advance notice of incoming CMEs - they can give one to three days of warning before a storm arrives.
SpaceWeatherLive
Independent site and app with real-time Bz monitoring and configurable Kp alerts. Particularly useful during an active event - while the 3-hour Kp average catches up, you can watch Bz in real time and see whether conditions are intensifying or fading.
Aurora alert apps
Apps such as My Aurora Forecast and Aurora Alerts offer configurable Kp thresholds with some local cloud cover integration. Look for apps that show real-time Bz alongside forecast Kp - forecast Kp alone tells you what may happen, not what is happening right now.
For most people, the alerts on this site combined with a NOAA email alert covers the full picture. The site alert tells you the moment Kp crosses your threshold. The NOAA alert gives you advance notice of the storm. If you are also planning a trip, the northern lights trip planning guide covers how to use the forecast to choose the right nights.
