On the night of May 5 to 6, people in eastern Switzerland were given a real treat in the form of the Northern Lights, which were visible across the region in the early hours of the morning. Forecasters captured several pictures of the stunning natural phenomenon, with the best views seen high up in the mountains.

Northern Lights pictured above Säntis in Switzerland

In a statement, MeteoSwiss confirmed that the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights were visible in the skies above Switzerland in the early hours of Monday morning. Thanks to a break in the cloud cover, at 1.50am the aurora could clearly be seen over eastern Switzerland, with forecasters capturing this stunning picture atop Säntis:

The Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis are a natural light display caused by solar emissions and winds as they hit the Earth’s atmosphere. MeteoSwiss noted that the light displays are a rare sight above Swiss cities and cantons, with most aurora occurring over the polar regions.

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Sadly, with the weather in Switzerland set to be dominated by rain and clouds, it is unlikely that we will be able to see the Northern Lights again soon. Monday will see rain, clouds and scattered thunderstorms across the country, while a small improvement is forecast for Tuesday, though conditions are expected to remain cloudy. Temperatures will range from 13 to 20 degrees celsius.

However, fans of nature’s greatest light show need not be dismayed - or head to the airport for an expensive holiday in Lapland - if they missed the lights on May 6, with MeteoSwiss writing in September 2023 that the Northern Lights are set to become a more regular feature in Switzerland. They confirmed that stronger solar activity is expected between late 2023 and early 2025, meaning there will likely be plenty of opportunities to see the cosmic treat in the alpine nation.