Iceland6 places
Northern Lights in Southern Region, Iceland
In Southern Region the aurora is visible from about Kp 0, first near Selfoss. Hvolsvöllur has the darkest skies among the larger places.
| Place | Kp needed | Kp for photos | Look towards | Light pollution | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selfoss | 0 | 0 | NNW | Bright suburban sky | 9,000 |
| Vestmannaeyjar | 0 | 0 | NNW | Bright suburban sky | 4,639 |
| Hveragerði | 0 | 0 | NNW | Suburban sky | 2,657 |
| Þorlákshöfn | 0 | 0 | NNW | Dark rural sky | 2,037 |
| Hvolsvöllur | 0 | 0 | NNW | Pristine dark sky | 1,108 |
| Vík í Mýrdal | 0 | 0 | NNW | Dark rural sky | – |
Best months in Southern Region
Share of nights 2005–2025 that were dark, active enough here and mostly clear.
December has been the best month (39% of nights), followed by November (33%).
All years Near solar maximum Near solar minimum
- Kp 0–2 Quiet eye in Selfoss 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) 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) 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).
The town pages in this region also cover 20 villages and districts nearby.