Live aurora forecast
Northern lights in Spain tonight and this season
Live aurora odds for 3 places in Spain, 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 Spain need Kp 9 or more at A Coruña, the best placed of the 3 spots on this page by geomagnetic latitude (46.7°). Spain has dark nights all year, so the season does not limit the aurora: only a severe geomagnetic storm (Kp 8 or 9) pushes the oval this far south. 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: 9 at A Coruña, by geomagnetic latitude
- 3 places in Spain with a live OVATION probability on this page
- Aurora probability over Huesca refreshes every 15 minutes with the fetch time shown
- No guided aurora tour in the catalogue passes the filter yet
- Kp forecast for the next 3 days in 3-hour slots, from NOAA SWPC
On this page
1Aurora over Huesca 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 Spain for the northern lights
Spain is not an aurora destination, and yet the aurora has reached it three times since 2024. On the night of 10 to 11 May 2024 a G5 storm, the strongest in two decades according to NASA, painted red and magenta skies from Galicia to Andalusia. On 10 October 2024 a second severe storm turned the sky red over the Calar Alto observatory in Almería, and on 12 November 2025 observers in Castellón recorded the aurora again around 4:30 in the morning. All three nights ran at Kp 8 or 9, one level below the Kp 9 of the table, which is the cautious rule. That is why the live figures on this page matter more than the season.
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 Spain needs
The table ranks the places in Spain 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 Spain
Spain has dark nights all year, so the season does not limit the aurora: only a severe geomagnetic storm (Kp 8 or 9) pushes the oval this far south.
6Northern lights tours in Spain
No guided aurora tour in Spain passes the catalogue filter of at least 4.3 stars and 20 reviews on Viator right now, so this page shows the live odds and the Kp needed instead.
| Place | Latitude | Geomagnetic latitude | Kp needed | Tours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Coruña | 43.4° N | 46.7° | 9 | 0 |
| Huesca | 42.1° N | 44.3° | 9 | 0 |
| Castellón de la Plana | 40.0° N | 42.1° | 9 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI, World Magnetic Model 2025, geomagnetic pole, checked on 9 Oct 2026.
Latest northern lights posts
Frequently asked questions
Can you see the northern lights in Spain?
Yes, when the Kp index reaches the level a place needs and the sky is dark and clear. A Coruña needs Kp 9 or more by the NOAA rule used on this site, and Castellón de la Plana needs Kp 9. The live probability for each place in Spain is on this page and refreshes every 15 minutes.
What Kp index do you need for the northern lights in Spain?
Kp 9 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 Spain?
Spain has dark nights all year, so the season does not limit the aurora: only a severe geomagnetic storm (Kp 8 or 9) pushes the oval this far south. Clear, dark nights matter as much as the Kp, so the cloud forecast for the dates decides the real view.
Which place in Spain has the best aurora odds tonight?
The cards on this page rank the 3 places in Spain 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 Spain?
No guided aurora tour in Spain passes the catalogue filter of at least 4.3 stars and 20 reviews on Viator right now. The page shows the live odds and the Kp needed so a visit can still be timed with the forecast.
Does Spain have polar night or midnight sun?
No. The places in Spain 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 (7)
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
- El País, 11 May 2024: an aurora lights up the skies of Spain, checked on 9 Oct 2026
- Calar Alto Observatory, aurora on 10 October 2024, checked on 9 Oct 2026
- Cadena SER, 12 November 2025: a new aurora over Castellón, checked on 9 Oct 2026
- NASA, what NASA is learning from the biggest geomagnetic storm in 20 years, 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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