AuroraMeteo

Viljandi County, EstoniaMagnetic latitude 55.5°Population 1,28057 m above sea level

Northern lights in Võhma

Võhma needs an active night: from about Kp 3.3 the aurora appears low over the north horizon, and it rises higher as activity grows. Since 1995 storms of Kp 4.7 or more reached this place during darkness on 924 nights.

Right now

It is still light here. Darkness starts at 19:33.

Kp 0.0 · 418 km/s · Bz 2.8

Magnetometer at Tartu (67 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

Only in photos, if at all

  • Solar activity Enough for a camera: Kp 2.7 expected, 1.7 needed for photos, 3.3 for the eye.
  • Sky Partly cloudy (71% cloud) — look for gaps.
  • Darkness Dark from 19:33 to 06:33.

What to do: Point a phone in night mode north (3–10 s exposure). A red or green glow often shows on the screen before you can see it.

Tonight

Updated 14:05 local time

14/100

Unlikely

Best around 02:00. Forecast max Kp 2.7 (this place needs 3.3), average cloud 71%.

Dark enough
19:33 – 06:33
Sunset
18:06 · sunrise 08:00
Moon
39% · ↑ 16:08 · ↓ 21:00
Kp neededKp index: a 0–9 measure of geomagnetic activity. The higher it is, the further from the poles the aurora reaches.
Kp 3.3
Kp for photos
In photos: from Kp 1.7 (a red glow low in the north).
Look towards
north (0°)
Sun 18 Oct2Kp 1.7 · cloud 88%
Mon 19 Oct14Kp 2.0 · cloud 16%
Sun 18 00 · 1/100 · Kp 2.7 · cloud 98% Sun 18 01 · 6/100 · Kp 2.7 · cloud 85% Sun 18 02 · 14/100 · Kp 2.7 · cloud 62% Sun 18 03 · 3/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 68% Sun 18 04 · 5/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 35% Sun 18 05 · 8/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 4% Sun 18 06 · 4/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 0% Sun 18 23 · 1/100 · Kp 1.3 · cloud 88% Mon 19 00 · 2/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 71% Mon 19 01 · 1/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 86% Mon 19 04 · 1/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 91% Mon 19 05 · 2/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 79% Mon 19 06 · 1/100 · Kp 1.3 · cloud 76% Mon 19 19 · 2/100 · Kp 1.3 · cloud 17% Mon 19 20 · 3/100 · Kp 1.3 · cloud 12% Mon 19 21 · 5/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 27% Mon 19 22 · 5/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 27% Mon 19 23 · 5/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 27% Tue 20 00 · 6/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 27% Tue 20 01 · 6/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 27% Tue 20 02 · 6/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 27% Tue 20 03 · 14/100 · Kp 2.0 · cloud 0% Tue 20 04 · 14/100 · Kp 2.0 · cloud 0% Tue 20 05 · 14/100 · Kp 2.0 · cloud 0% 18Sun 18061218Mon 19061218Tue 200612
Chance (0–100) Dark enough Cloud cover

Cloud layers and weather

High cloud Mid cloud Low cloud 18Sun 18061218Mon 19061218Tue 200612
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, 19Sat, 22Sun, 01Sun, 04Sun, 19Sun, 22Mon, 01Mon, 04Mon, 19Mon, 22Tue, 01Tue, 04
Low cloud98%52%1%2%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%
Mid cloud27%72%95%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%
High cloud98%74%16%2%70%96%92%76%0%0%0%0%
Temperature10 °C9 °C8 °C6 °C5 °C3 °C2 °C1 °C4 °C1 °C1 °C0 °C
Feels like7 °C6 °C5 °C3 °C2 °C0 °C-1 °C-2 °C2 °C-2 °C-2 °C-4 °C
Wind5 m/s4 m/s3 m/s3 m/s2 m/s2 m/s2 m/s2 m/s2 m/s2 m/s2 m/s2 m/s
Visibility38 km50 km50 km48 km50 km48 km44 km44 km50 km49 km39 km39 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 Võhma

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

10°20°30°45° Kp 5.3 · high overheadKp 3.3 · 10°–20° 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). Terrain not modelled for this place; the horizon is drawn flat.
KpWhat you seeLower edgeRay topsDistance to the aurora
2 Faint glow, mostly on camera 4° 11° 778 km
3 Faint glow, mostly on camera 8° 17° 556 km
4 Visible to the north 16° 29° 334 km
5 Visible to the north 43° 60° 111 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 Võhma Only under the auroral oval: northern Norway, Swedish and Finnish Lapland, Iceland, Alaska, northern Canada.
  2. Kp 3 Unsettled next 24 h eye in Võhma Bright in the Arctic; low on the horizon in central Scandinavia and southern Iceland.
  3. Kp 4 Active 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

Terrain is not modelled for this place.

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

Best months to see the aurora in Võhma

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

March has been the best month (10% of nights), followed by September (9%).

0%10%20% – Jul August: 6% Aug September: 9% Sept October: 5% Oct November: 2% Nov December: 2% Dec January: 2% Jan February: 4% Feb March: 10% Mar April: 8% Apr May: 4% May – Jun
All years Near solar maximum Near solar minimum
MonthGood nightsClear nightsDarknessLow / high
September 9% 42% 7.9 h 9° / 17°C
October 5% 25% 10.8 h 3° / 9°C
November 2% 10% 12.8 h -1° / 3°C
December 2% 8% 14.0 h -6° / -2°C
January 2% 9% 13.3 h -9° / -4°C
February 4% 18% 11.5 h -10° / -4°C
March 10% 41% 9.1 h -6° / 1°C
April 8% 57% 6.0 h 0° / 8°C
Good night = darkness + activity at this place's Kp level + night-time satellite cloud ≤ 70%. GFZ Kp, NASA POWER (CERES), 1° grid. Methodology
27%chance of ≥1 good night in 3 nights (March)
40%chance of ≥1 good night in 5 nights (March)
51%chance of ≥1 good night in 7 nights (March)

Darkness through the year

Aurora nights in Võhma 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) · 67 km
Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport (TLL) · 96 km
Typical low / high in March
-6° / 1°C
What to wear
Below freezing at night: thermal layers, a warm jacket, hat, gloves and winter boots. 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 Võhma?

Võhma needs an active night: from about Kp 3.3 the aurora appears low over the north horizon, and it rises higher as activity grows.

Which way should I look for the aurora in Võhma?

Face north (about 0° from true north). At Kp 3.3 the lower edge of the aurora sits roughly 16° above the horizon; stronger activity lifts it higher and further across the sky.

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

Over 2005–2025, March gave the best odds in Võhma (10% of nights dark, active enough and mostly clear), followed by September (9%).

When is the aurora season in Võhma?

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

Is there much light pollution in Võhma?

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

When was the aurora last possible in Võhma?

Activity last reached storm level (Kp 5 or more) during darkness in Võhma on 10 October 2026 (Kp 7.3) — 924 such nights since 1995. Here the aurora also appears on many quieter nights.

Also covered by this forecast

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

Nearby places