Live aurora forecast
Northern lights in Iceland tonight and this season
Live aurora odds for 2 places in Iceland, the Kp each one needs, the season, and the guided tours that pass the catalogue filter. Data: NOAA SWPC, refreshed every 15 minutes.
In short
Northern lights in Iceland need Kp 1 or more at Akureyri, the best placed of the 2 spots on this page by geomagnetic latitude (69.6°). The aurora season in Iceland runs from late August to mid April, when nights are long enough, and the darkest months are November to February. The probability over each place right now comes from the NOAA OVATION model and refreshes every 15 minutes, with the time of the last fetch shown under each figure.
Key points
- Kp needed: 1 at Akureyri, by geomagnetic latitude
- 2 places in Iceland with a live OVATION probability on this page
- Aurora probability over Reykjavik refreshes every 15 minutes with the fetch time shown
- 32 guided tours pass the filter of 4.3 stars, 20 reviews and an aurora title
- Kp forecast for the next 3 days in 3-hour slots, from NOAA SWPC
On this page
1Aurora over Reykjavik right now
Data: NOAA SWPC, fetched 09:11 UTC. Aurora probability by destination from the NOAA OVATION model, forecast for 9 Oct, 10:15 UTC. Aurora also needs a dark and clear sky. Kp needed: NOAA puts the edge of the auroral oval at about 66° geomagnetic latitude for Kp 0, 2° closer to the equator per Kp level. Geomagnetic latitude from the WMM2025 dipole pole (NOAA NCEI).
2Why Iceland for the northern lights
The whole of Iceland lies under the auroral oval, so the Kp needed is the lowest on the scale and the real question is cloud. Reykjavik has the flights and the tours, but its lights hide faint displays: most operators drive out of the city. Akureyri in the north sits further from the Atlantic fronts.
Data: NOAA SWPC, fetched 09:11 UTC. Aurora probability by destination from the NOAA OVATION model, forecast for 9 Oct, 10:15 UTC. Aurora also needs a dark and clear sky. Kp needed: NOAA puts the edge of the auroral oval at about 66° geomagnetic latitude for Kp 0, 2° closer to the equator per Kp level. Geomagnetic latitude from the WMM2025 dipole pole (NOAA NCEI).
3The Kp each place in Iceland needs
The table ranks the places in Iceland by geomagnetic latitude, which is what decides how strong a storm has to be before the auroral oval reaches them. NOAA puts the edge of the oval at about 66 degrees geomagnetic for Kp 0 and moves it 2 degrees toward the equator per Kp level. The full method, including why the figure is conservative, is on the data and method page.
4Kp forecast for the next 3 days
| UTC | Fri 9 Oct | Sat 10 Oct | Sun 11 Oct | Mon 12 Oct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00-03 | 4.00 | 4.67 G1 | 3.00 | |
| 03-06 | 3.67 | 5.67 G2 | ||
| 06-09 | 3.00 | 4.33 | ||
| 09-12 | 3.67 | 3.00 | 3.00 | |
| 12-15 | 4.67 G1 | 1.67 | 2.67 | |
| 15-18 | 5.00 G1 | 2.33 | 2.33 | |
| 18-21 | 6.00 G2 | 2.67 | 2.00 | |
| 21-00 | 5.67 G2 | 2.67 | 2.67 |
Data: NOAA SWPC. Slots before now are NOAA estimates, the rest are predicted values.
5When to see the northern lights in Iceland
The aurora season in Iceland runs from late August to mid April, when nights are long enough, and the darkest months are November to February.
6Northern lights tours in Iceland
32 guided aurora tours in Iceland pass the catalogue filter of at least 4.3 stars, 20 reviews and a title that names the aurora, from 33 USD per person. The cards below show the most reviewed ones per place, and the Iceland tours page lists them all with prices, duration and reviews.
Northern lights tours from Reykjavik 32
Perlan Admission - Volcano & Ice Cave, Northern Lights Experience4.7 · 2,463 reviews · 2 hfrom 59 USD
Northern Lights Small-Group Tour with Hot Chocolate & Photos4.7 · 2,208 reviews · 4 hfrom 163 USD
Northern Lights Midnight Adventure Small-Group from Reykjavík4.8 · 997 reviews · 3 hfrom 133 USD
3-Day Ice Cave, South Coast, Golden Circle and Northern Lights4.9 · 683 reviews · 72 hfrom 999 USD| Place | Latitude | Geomagnetic latitude | Kp needed | Tours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akureyri | 65.7° N | 69.6° | 1 | 0 |
| Reykjavik | 64.1° N | 68.8° | 1 | 32 |
Source: NOAA NCEI, World Magnetic Model 2025, geomagnetic pole, checked on 9 Oct 2026.
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Frequently asked questions
Can you see the northern lights in Iceland?
Yes, when the Kp index reaches the level a place needs and the sky is dark and clear. Akureyri needs Kp 1 or more by the NOAA rule used on this site, and Reykjavik needs Kp 1. The live probability for each place in Iceland is on this page and refreshes every 15 minutes.
What Kp index do you need for the northern lights in Iceland?
Kp 1 or more at every place on this page. The figure comes from geomagnetic latitude: NOAA puts the edge of the auroral oval at about 66 degrees for Kp 0 and moves it 2 degrees toward the equator per Kp level, and it is conservative, because NOAA also notes that aurora is often visible hundreds of kilometres equatorward of that edge. The data and method page explains the calculation and its limits.
When is the best time to see the northern lights in Iceland?
The aurora season in Iceland runs from late August to mid April, when nights are long enough, and the darkest months are November to February. Clear, dark nights matter as much as the Kp, so the cloud forecast for the dates decides the real view.
Which place in Iceland has the best aurora odds tonight?
The cards on this page rank the 2 places in Iceland by the NOAA OVATION probability for the current forecast hour. All of them need the same Kp, so the OVATION figure and the local cloud decide, and the cards refresh every 15 minutes.
Are there guided northern lights tours in Iceland?
Yes. 32 tours pass the catalogue filter of at least 4.3 stars, 20 reviews and an aurora title: 32 in Reykjavik, from 33 USD per person. They are listed on this page by place and in full on the Iceland tours page, with prices, duration and reviews.
Does Iceland have polar night or midnight sun?
No. The places in Iceland on this page lie outside the polar circles, so every night of the aurora season has real darkness, and the limiting factor is the Kp index rather than daylight.
Sources (4)
Sources
- NOAA SWPC, tips on viewing the aurora, checked on 9 Oct 2026
- NOAA NCEI, World Magnetic Model 2025, geomagnetic pole, checked on 9 Oct 2026
- NOAA SWPC, OVATION aurora forecast model, checked on 9 Oct 2026
- Viator Partner API, catalogue and operator listings, checked on 9 Oct 2026
Written and maintained by the Kp Forecast editorial team. Independent site, not a space weather agency. Data: NOAA SWPC.
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