Poland1,221 places
Northern Lights in Poland: Where and When to See Them
In Poland the aurora appears only during geomagnetic storms, low on the horizon. The best chances are near Gdańsk, from about Kp 5.7. Near Gdańsk, September has historically been the best month (2% of nights).
Where the aurora is easiest to see
| Place | Region | Kp needed | Kp for photos | Magnetic latitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gdańsk | Pomeranian Voivodeship | 5.7 | 4 | 50.8° |
| Gdynia | Pomeranian Voivodeship | 5.7 | 4 | 51.0° |
| Słupsk | Pomeranian Voivodeship | 5.7 | 4 | 50.9° |
| Wejherowo | Pomeranian Voivodeship | 5.7 | 4 | 51.1° |
| Rumia | Pomeranian Voivodeship | 5.7 | 4 | 51.1° |
| Lębork | Pomeranian Voivodeship | 5.7 | 4 | 51.0° |
| Sopot | Pomeranian Voivodeship | 5.7 | 4 | 50.9° |
| Ujeścisko-Łostowice | Pomeranian Voivodeship | 5.7 | 4 | 50.8° |
Largest cities
Storm watch: can you see the northern lights from Poland?
Rarely, but yes. In strong storms (about Kp 4 or more) the red upper layer of the aurora, 300–400 km up, rises above the northern horizon of Poland. Phone and camera sensors pick it up far more easily than the eye.
…
| Place | Kp for photos | Kp for the eye | Photo nights since 1995 | Last time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gdańsk | 4 | 5.7 | 983 | Oct 2026 |
| Gdynia | 4 | 5.7 | 983 | Oct 2026 |
| Słupsk | 4 | 5.7 | 982 | Oct 2026 |
| Wejherowo | 4 | 5.7 | 982 | Oct 2026 |
| Rumia | 4 | 5.7 | 983 | Oct 2026 |
| Lębork | 4 | 5.7 | 982 | Oct 2026 |
| Sopot | 4 | 5.7 | 984 | Oct 2026 |
| Ujeścisko-Łostowice | 4 | 5.7 | 983 | Oct 2026 |
| Przymorze Wielkie | 4 | 5.7 | 984 | Oct 2026 |
| Braniewo | 4 | 5.7 | 980 | Oct 2026 |
| Reda | 4 | 5.7 | 983 | Oct 2026 |
| Ustka | 4 | 5.7 | 981 | Oct 2026 |
When it was last seen from Poland
Nights with enough activity for photos from Gdańsk during darkness (Kp 4.7 or more):
- 10 October 2026 · Kp 7.0
- 4 October 2026 · Kp 5.7
- 7 September 2026 · Kp 4.7
- 18 August 2026 · Kp 5.3
- 5 June 2026 · Kp 5.0
- 15 May 2026 · Kp 6.0
- 4 May 2026 · Kp 4.7
- 30 April 2026 · Kp 4.7
- 20 April 2026 · Kp 5.0
- 18 April 2026 · Kp 4.7
How to catch it from Poland
- Watch the forecast: you need about Kp 4 or more — a strong to severe storm. These arrive a day or two after a big eruption on the Sun, so there is usually some warning.
- Get away from city lights and find an open view to the north: a coast, a hill or a field. The glow sits low over the horizon.
- Use your phone's night mode or a camera on a tripod (3–15 s). Check the photo: a red or pink sky to the north is the aurora.
- The best hours are usually 22:00–02:00 local time, but in big storms it can start right after dusk.
- 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 camera in Gdańsk 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) eye in Gdańsk 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).
Live sightings
Where visitors are reporting the aurora right now. A place climbs with every report and drops again as the reports age.
- …
Latest reports
Regions of Poland
- Masovian VoivodeshipKp 6.3+ · 42
- Silesian VoivodeshipKp 7.7+ · 34
- Lower Silesian VoivodeshipKp 7.3+ · 19
- Greater Poland VoivodeshipKp 6.3+ · 25
- Pomeranian VoivodeshipKp 5.7+ · 33
- Lesser Poland VoivodeshipKp 7+ · 19
- Łódź VoivodeshipKp 7+ · 16
- Kujawsko-PomorskieKp 6+ · 12
- West Pomeranian VoivodeshipKp 5.7+ · 20
- Lublin VoivodeshipKp 7+ · 15
- SubcarpathiaKp 7.7+ · 17
- Warmian-Masurian VoivodeshipKp 5.7+ · 21
- Podlaskie VoivodeshipKp 6+ · 6
- Lubusz VoivodeshipKp 6.7+ · 10
- Świętokrzyskie VoivodeshipKp 7.7+ · 10
- Opole VoivodeshipKp 7.7+ · 10
Practical information for Poland
- Emergency number
- 112
- Access to land
- State forests are open to the public by default under Art. 26 of the Forest Act, except permanently closed areas (young plantings under 4 m, refuges, erosion zones) and signposted temporary bans (e.g. high fire risk, logging); national parks have their own access rules.
- Winter driving
- Poland has no legal winter tyre requirement (minimum tread depth 1.6 mm applies year-round). Road conditions: GDDKiA map service for national roads (winter-condition icons use IMGW data); GDDKiA hotline 19 111. Road conditions
- Drones
- Poland applies the EU EASA drone framework (operator registration required for drones of 250 g or more or with a camera); national authority: Civil Aviation Authority (ULC), https://www.ulc.gov.pl.
- Weather service
- Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW-PIB)
- Certified dark-sky places
- Sopotnia Wielka
Sopotnia Wielka (Żywiec Beskids) was certified in Nov 2023 as Poland's first International Dark Sky Community; the Bieszczady and Izera 'dark sky parks' are national/local designations, not confirmed as DarkSky International places.
Compiled from official government, road-authority and weather-service sources. Rules change; check them before you travel.