Pays de la Loire, FranceMagnetic latitude 42.4°Population 22,92135 m above sea level
Can you see the northern lights in Vertou?
From Vertou the aurora is too low for the naked eye except in the most extreme storms, but in severe storms (about Kp 7.3 or more) cameras record a red glow low in the north. Strong enough for photos on 50 nights since 1995 — most recently on 20 January 2026.
Right now
It is still light here. Darkness starts at 20:15.
Latest measured half-hour activity worldwide: Hp30 3.
Updates every minute while this page is open. Ground data: GFZ Potsdam Hp30 index (CC BY 4.0).
Tonight in one minute
Not tonight
- Solar activity Too weak: Kp 4.7 expected, 7.3 needed here.
- Sky Overcast (90% cloud).
- Darkness Dark from 20:15 to 07:25.
What to do: Not tonight — your next chance is shown just below.
Wednesday 21 October — No · Kp 4.7 · Forecast cloud: 90%. · Reliability: good
Each box is one night: the colour shows the chance, the number the expected Kp. Tap a night for details.
📅 Add these nights to your calendar — it updates itself (.ics)
How far ahead can the northern lights be forecast?
- Minutes to an hour: satellites 1.5 million km away measure the solar wind before it reaches Earth. This is the surest warning — the “Right now” box uses it.
- 1–3 days: when the Sun throws out a cloud of particles, it takes one to three days to arrive. NOAA's 3-hourly forecast covers these nights; the timing can still be off by a few hours.
- 4–27 days: the Sun turns once every 27 days, and regions that disturbed Earth's field last time often do it again. NOAA's 27-day outlook gives this rough trend — new eruptions are not in it yet.
Tonight
Updated 15:37 local time
Unlikely
Best around 20:00. Forecast max Kp 4.7 (this place needs 9+), average cloud 90%.
- Dark enough
- 20:15 – 07:25
- Sunset
- 19:09 · sunrise 08:32
- Moon
- 68% · ↑ 16:47 · ↓ 02:50
- Kp neededKp index: a 0–9 measure of geomagnetic activity. The higher it is, the further from the poles the aurora reaches.
- Kp 9+
- Kp for photos
- In photos: from Kp 7.3 (a red glow low in the north).
- Look towards
- north (358°)
Cloud layers and weather
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.
| Time | Tue, 20 | Tue, 23 | Wed, 02 | Wed, 05 | Wed, 20 | Wed, 23 | Thu, 02 | Thu, 05 | Thu, 20 | Thu, 23 | Fri, 02 | Fri, 05 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low cloud | 0% | 34% | 62% | 42% | 3% | 3% | 7% | 12% | 13% | 41% | 64% | 49% |
| Mid cloud | 100% | 90% | 63% | 45% | 64% | 77% | 82% | 78% | 67% | 54% | 42% | 28% |
| High cloud | 1% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 100% | 79% | 47% | 49% | 51% | 23% | 0% | 0% |
| Temperature | 10 °C | 11 °C | 13 °C | 12 °C | 11 °C | 12 °C | 12 °C | 12 °C | 14 °C | 14 °C | 14 °C | 12 °C |
| Feels like | 10 °C | 11 °C | 13 °C | 12 °C | 11 °C | 12 °C | 12 °C | 12 °C | 14 °C | 14 °C | 14 °C | 12 °C |
| Wind | 3 m/s | 6 m/s | 8 m/s | 5 m/s | 5 m/s | 4 m/s | 5 m/s | 5 m/s | 7 m/s | 9 m/s | 11 m/s | 10 m/s |
Cloud layers and weather: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).
Score = activity (NOAA Kp and OVATION) × clear sky (MET Norway) × darkness × moonlight. Methodology
Weather in Vertou
The aurora only shows through clear skies, so the weather matters as much as the Kp index. Here is the general forecast for Vertou: temperature, wind and the chance of rain for the coming days.
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What you would see from Vertou
Facing north. Bands show where the aurora sits at two activity levels.
| Kp | What you see | Lower edge | Ray tops | Distance to the aurora |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Below the horizon | -7° | -5° | 2,235 km |
| 3 | Below the horizon | -6° | -4° | 2,013 km |
| 4 | Below the horizon | -5° | -2° | 1,790 km |
| 5 | Below the horizon | -3° | 0° | 1,568 km |
| 6 | Below the horizon | -2° | 2° | 1,346 km |
| 7 | Below the horizon | 0° | 5° | 1,123 km |
| 8 | Faint glow, mostly on camera | 3° | 8° | 901 km |
| 9 | Faint glow, mostly on camera | 6° | 13° | 678 km |
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.
- Kp 0–2 Quiet Only under the auroral oval: northern Norway, Swedish and Finnish Lapland, Iceland, Alaska, northern Canada.
- Kp 3 Unsettled Bright in the Arctic; low on the horizon in central Scandinavia and southern Iceland.
- Kp 4 Active Overhead in the Arctic; low in the north from southern Norway, Sweden, Finland and northern Scotland.
- Kp 5 Minor storm (G1) next 24 h Scotland, southern Scandinavia, the Baltic states, the northern US states and southern Canada.
- Kp 6 Moderate storm (G2) Northern England, Denmark, northern Germany and Poland, the US Midwest — often clearer in photos than to the eye.
- Kp 7 Strong storm (G3) camera in Vertou Most of the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Czechia; red glow in photos from France and the northern Alps.
- 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.
- 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
Bright suburban sky. Strong sky glow washes out faint aurora. Head out of town for anything but a bright display.
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 Vertou
Share of nights 2005–2025 that were dark, active enough here and mostly clear.
Activity of Kp 9+ or more is too rare here for monthly odds to be meaningful. The table still shows how often nights are clear and dark.
| Month | Good nights | Clear nights | Darkness | Low / high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | 0% | 72% | 9.1 h | 12° / 22°C |
| October | 0% | 56% | 10.9 h | 9° / 18°C |
| November | 0% | 46% | 12.0 h | 6° / 13°C |
| December | 0% | 43% | 12.9 h | 3° / 9°C |
| January | 0% | 36% | 12.4 h | 2° / 9°C |
| February | 0% | 47% | 11.4 h | 2° / 10°C |
| March | 0% | 54% | 9.9 h | 4° / 13°C |
| April | 0% | 62% | 7.8 h | 6° / 16°C |
Nights when Vertou could catch it in photos
Since 1995, nights with Kp 7.3 or more while it was dark here — a red or green glow low on the horizon.
- 20 January 2026 · Kp 7.7
- 19 January 2026 · Kp 8.7
- 12 November 2025 · Kp 7.3
- 11 November 2025 · Kp 8.7
- 10 October 2024 · Kp 8.7
- 16 September 2024 · Kp 7.3
- 11 May 2024 · Kp 7.7
- 10 May 2024 · Kp 9.0
- 23 April 2023 · Kp 7.3
- 23 March 2023 · Kp 8.0
- 7 September 2017 · Kp 8.0
- 7 October 2015 · Kp 7.3
Practical information
- Nearest airport
- Nantes Atlantique Airport (NTE) · 11 km
- Typical low / high in January
- 2° / 9°C
- What to wear
- Cool nights: layers, a windproof jacket, hat and gloves for standing still outside. Full clothing guide
Questions and answers
What Kp do you need to see the aurora in Vertou?
From Vertou the aurora is too low for the naked eye except in the most extreme storms, but in severe storms (about Kp 7.3 or more) cameras record a red glow low in the north.
Which way should I look for the aurora in Vertou?
Around Vertou the aurora is often right overhead. Start by facing north, but look up and all around — in strong storms it can fill the whole sky and even appear behind you.
When is the aurora season in Vertou?
Vertou gets dark enough for the aurora all year round, though the long winter nights give the most hours to watch.
Is there much light pollution in Vertou?
Strong sky glow washes out faint aurora. Head out of town for anything but a bright display.
Also covered by this forecast
Villages and districts around Vertou share its forecast: within a few kilometres the sky, the Kp needed and the best direction are the same.
- Le Chêne 1 km
- La Billardière 1 km
- La Mortalière 1 km
- La Barbinière 1 km
- Les Mortiers 2 km
- La Grammoire 2 km
- La Ville Au Blanc 2 km
- La Massonnière 2 km
- La Grande Noë 2 km
- La Bouteillerie 2 km
- Portillon 2 km
- La Chevrue 3 km
- La Denillère 3 km
- La Ville Henri 3 km
- La Grassinière 3 km
- La Cornillère 4 km
- La Bourchinière 4 km
- Basse Canterie 4 km
- Le Pâtis Vinet 4 km
- La Verrie 4 km
- Sainte-Germaine 4 km
- La Caillaudière 4 km
- La Louée 4 km
- Tournebride 5 km
- Saint-Fiacre-sur-Maine 5 km
- Saint-Fiacre-sur-Maine 5 km
- La Brillaudière 5 km
- La Pétière 5 km
- Le Moulinier 5 km
- La Haie-Fouassière 6 km
- Château-Thébaud 6 km
- La Haie-Fouassière 6 km
- Château-Thébaud 6 km
- La Métairie 6 km
- La Haie-Trois-Sous 7 km
- La Hautière 7 km
- La Poterie 7 km
- La Bretonnière 7 km