New Zealand3 places
Southern Lights in West Coast Region, New Zealand
In West Coast Region the aurora is visible from about Kp 6, first near Greymouth. Aoraki/Mount Cook Village has the darkest skies among the larger places.
Weather in West Coast Region
General forecast for Greymouth, the main town in West Coast Region. Tonight's cloud cover for every town is on its aurora page.
Planning further ahead? See the hour-by-hour weather forecast for Greymouth on Atlas of Seasons.
| Place | Kp needed | Kp for photos | Look towards | Light pollution | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greymouth | 6.7 | 5 | SSW | Dark rural sky | 9,419 |
| Aoraki/Mount Cook Village | 7.3 | 5.7 | SSW | Pristine dark sky | – |
Best months in West Coast Region
Share of nights 2005–2025 that were dark, active enough here and mostly clear.
May has been the best month (0.8% of nights), followed by March (0.5%).
All years Near solar maximum Near solar minimum
- 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) camera in Greymouth 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) eye in Greymouth 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 67 villages and districts nearby.
Smaller places
- WaikōwhaiKp 6