AuroraMeteo

Pärnu County, EstoniaMagnetic latitude 55.3°Population 11,87921 m above sea level

Northern lights in Tori

Tori needs an active night: from about Kp 3.7 the aurora appears low over the north horizon, and it rises higher as activity grows. Since 1995 that level (Kp 4.7) was reached during darkness here on 929 nights.

Right now

Quiet right now (Kp 1.3).

Kp 1.3 · 470 km/s · Bz 3.5

Magnetometer at Tartu (98 km away): low magnetic activity.

Updates every minute while this page is open. Ground data: FMI MIRACLE R-index (CC BY 4.0).

Tonight in one minute

Not tonight

  • Solar activity Strong enough: Kp 4 expected, 3.7 needed here.
  • Sky Overcast (99% cloud).
  • Darkness Dark from 19:36 to 06:36.

What to do: Not tonight — your next chance is shown just below.

Tonight

Updated 02:21 local time

1/100

Unlikely

Best around 06:00. Forecast max Kp 4.0 (this place needs 3.7), average cloud 99%.

Dark enough
19:36 – 06:36
Sunset
18:10 · sunrise 08:03
Moon
34% · ↑ 16:09 · ↓ 21:05
Kp neededKp index: a 0–9 measure of geomagnetic activity. The higher it is, the further from the poles the aurora reaches.
Kp 3.7
Kp for photos
In photos: from Kp 2 (a red glow low in the north).
Look towards
north (0°)
Sat 17 Oct5Kp 2.0 · cloud 70%
Sun 18 Oct1Kp 1.7 · cloud 91%
Sat 17 06 · 1/100 · Kp 3.3 · cloud 98% Sun 18 02 · 1/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 78% Sun 18 03 · 2/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 55% Sun 18 04 · 4/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 16% Sun 18 05 · 5/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 3% Sun 18 06 · 5/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 0% Mon 19 00 · 1/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 89% Mon 19 01 · 1/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 87% Mon 19 05 · 1/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 80% 061218Sun 18061218Mon 19061218Tue 20
Chance (0–100) Dark enough Cloud cover

Cloud layers and weather

High cloud Mid cloud Low cloud 061218Sun 18061218Mon 19061218Tue 20
Low cloudMid cloudHigh cloud Dark enough

Low cloud blocks the aurora completely. Thin high cloud often still lets a bright aurora shine through, so a sky with only high cloud is worth a look.

Dark hours
TimeSat, 02Sat, 05Sat, 20Sat, 23Sun, 02Sun, 05Sun, 20Sun, 23Mon, 02Mon, 05Mon, 20Mon, 23
Low cloud72%20%100%92%1%0%0%0%0%4%0%0%
Mid cloud0%0%100%100%100%58%0%0%0%0%0%0%
High cloud73%48%98%88%13%0%99%95%77%38%1%44%
Temperature9 °C10 °C11 °C10 °C9 °C7 °C5 °C3 °C2 °C2 °C3 °C1 °C
Feels like8 °C8 °C9 °C7 °C6 °C5 °C3 °C1 °C0 °C-1 °C-1 °C-3 °C
Wind3 m/s3 m/s3 m/s4 m/s3 m/s3 m/s1 m/s1 m/s1 m/s1 m/s3 m/s3 m/s
Visibility26 km26 km7.2 km12 km24 km50 km50 km43 km38 km38 km50 km50 km

Cloud layers and weather: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).

Score = activity (NOAA Kp and OVATION) × clear sky (MET Norway) × darkness × moonlight. Methodology

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Preview

What you would see from Tori

Facing north. Bands show where the aurora sits at two activity levels.

10°20°30°45° Kp 5.7 · overheadKp 3.7 · 12°–23° WNW 300° NW 315° NNW 330° NNW 345° N 0° NNE 15° NNE 30° NE 45° ENE 60°
Computed from the auroral oval position for each Kp level (lower border ~105 km, ray tops ~200 km up). Horizon from elevation data out to 30 km.
KpWhat you seeLower edgeRay topsDistance to the aurora
2 Faint glow, mostly on camera 4° 10° 801 km
3 Faint glow, mostly on camera 8° 16° 578 km
4 Visible to the north 15° 27° 356 km
5 Visible to the north 37° 55° 133 km
6 Overhead and all around – – –
7 Overhead and all around – – –
8 Overhead, and also to the south – – –
9 Overhead, and also to the south – – –
Angles above the horizon. Terrain in the look direction is taken into account where modelled.

The Kp scale in plain words

Kp is a 0–9 score for how strongly the Earth's magnetic field is being shaken by the solar wind. The higher it goes, the further from the poles the northern lights reach. Kp 0–2 is a quiet night; Kp 5 and above is a geomagnetic storm.

  1. Kp 0–2 Quiet camera in Tori Only under the auroral oval: northern Norway, Swedish and Finnish Lapland, Iceland, Alaska, northern Canada.
  2. Kp 3 Unsettled Bright in the Arctic; low on the horizon in central Scandinavia and southern Iceland.
  3. Kp 4 Active next 24 h eye in Tori Overhead in the Arctic; low in the north from southern Norway, Sweden, Finland and northern Scotland.
  4. Kp 5 Minor storm (G1) Scotland, southern Scandinavia, the Baltic states, the northern US states and southern Canada.
  5. Kp 6 Moderate storm (G2) Northern England, Denmark, northern Germany and Poland, the US Midwest — often clearer in photos than to the eye.
  6. Kp 7 Strong storm (G3) Most of the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Czechia; red glow in photos from France and the northern Alps.
  7. Kp 8 Severe storm (G4) Central Europe to the eye; red sky in photos from northern Italy, Spain, the Balkans and Turkey's Black Sea coast.
  8. Kp 9 Extreme storm (G5) Seen across Europe and the US; in photos as far south as the Mediterranean, Turkey and North Africa (May 2024).

Light pollution

Pristine dark sky. Almost no artificial light: faint aurora and the Milky Way are easy to see.

Estimate from NASA VIIRS night-light data (sky-glow model within 50 km). Check access and private land before you go.

Hills and mountains

The horizon towards the north is open (terrain below 0.3°), so low aurora is not blocked.

From elevation data (AWS Terrain Tiles) along seven lines of sight up to 30 km.

Best months to see the aurora in Tori

Share of nights 2005–2025 that were dark, active enough here and mostly clear.

September has been the best month (14% of nights), followed by March (11%).

0%10%20% July: 1% Jul August: 8% Aug September: 14% Sept October: 9% Oct November: 4% Nov December: 4% Dec January: 3% Jan February: 7% Feb March: 11% Mar April: 9% Apr May: 5% May – Jun
All years Near solar maximum Near solar minimum
MonthGood nightsClear nightsDarknessLow / high
September 14% 58% 7.9 h 9° / 17°C
October 9% 42% 10.8 h 4° / 10°C
November 4% 21% 12.8 h 0° / 4°C
December 4% 15% 14.0 h -4° / 0°C
January 3% 17% 13.3 h -7° / -3°C
February 7% 30% 11.5 h -8° / -3°C
March 11% 47% 9.1 h -4° / 2°C
April 9% 60% 6.0 h 1° / 9°C
Good night = darkness + activity at this place's Kp level + night-time satellite cloud ≤ 70%. GFZ Kp, NASA POWER (CERES), 1° grid. Methodology
35%chance of ≥1 good night in 3 nights (September)
52%chance of ≥1 good night in 5 nights (September)
64%chance of ≥1 good night in 7 nights (September)

Darkness through the year

Aurora nights in Tori since 1995

Nights when Kp reached 4.7 or more while it was dark here.

2015: 3415342016: 4116412017: 3117312018: 1318132019: 81982020: 32032021: 1421142022: 3322332023: 2623262024: 2524252025: 5425542026: 282628
Per year, last 12 years. Cloud cover not included. Source: GFZ Kp.

Most recent strong nights

Practical information

Nearest airport
Pärnu Airport (EPU) · 22 km
Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport (TLL) · 104 km
Typical low / high in September
9° / 17°C
What to wear
Cool nights: layers, a windproof jacket, hat and gloves for standing still outside. Full clothing guide
Emergency number
112
Winter driving
Winter tyres are mandatory 1 Dec – 1 Mar; studded tyres allowed 15 Oct – 31 Mar (to 30 Apr if winter conditions persist), and since Dec 2022 non-studded winter tyres must be Nordic-type. Road conditions: Transpordiamet's Tark Tee portal (https://www.tarktee.ee). Road conditions
Access to land
Estonia's everyman's right (igaüheõigus, codified in the Environmental Code) lets you be on unfenced, unposted land day and night regardless of ownership; fenced or signposted private land requires the owner's permission. RMK (State Forest Management Centre) sites are open to the public.
Weather service
Estonian Weather Service (Riigi Ilmateenistus)

Questions and answers

What Kp do you need to see the aurora in Tori?

Tori needs an active night: from about Kp 3.7 the aurora appears low over the north horizon, and it rises higher as activity grows.

Which way should I look for the aurora in Tori?

Face north (about 0° from true north). At Kp 3.7 the lower edge of the aurora sits roughly 15° above the horizon; stronger activity lifts it higher and further across the sky.

What is the best month to see the aurora in Tori?

Over 2005–2025, September gave the best odds in Tori (14% of nights dark, active enough and mostly clear), followed by March (11%).

When is the aurora season in Tori?

From 16 May to 27 July the sky in Tori never gets dark enough. Outside that period the aurora can be seen whenever activity and clouds allow.

Is there much light pollution in Tori?

Almost no artificial light: faint aurora and the Milky Way are easy to see.

When was the aurora last possible in Tori?

Activity last reached storm level (Kp 5 or more) during darkness in Tori on 10 October 2026 (Kp 7.3) — 929 such nights since 1995. Here the aurora also appears on many quieter nights.

Also covered by this forecast

Villages and districts around Tori share its forecast: within a few kilometres the sky, the Kp needed and the best direction are the same.