Glowing sky Strong solar storm causes auroras over Switzerland
A solar storm causes auroras over Switzerland. It is so strong that the light spectacle can be seen in many regions of the country.
20.01.2026, 04:12
20.01.2026, 11:59
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- Auroras lit up the sky over many parts of Switzerland on Tuesday night.
- A particularly strong solar storm was responsible for this, according to the weather service MeteoNews.
- The natural spectacle could be observed in many regions of Switzerland. The auroras were particularly visible outside the fog zones and at higher altitudes.
A particularly strong solar storm caused northern lights in Switzerland on Tuesday night. This was reported by the weather service MeteoNews. It was the strongest geomagnetic storm in over 20 years.
The natural spectacle could be observed in many regions of Switzerland. The auroras were particularly visible outside the fog zones and at higher altitudes. Green auroras, which are rare in Switzerland, were also observed. On the Central Plateau, widespread fog and high fog below around 700 to 800 meters prevented visibility.
Northern lights shine over Monthey, Bex and Aigle VD on Monday night...
Image: Keystone/Maxime Schmid
...and also over Davos GR.
Image: Keystone/Gian Ehrenzeller
Auroras were also visible over Saxony-Anhalt in Germany.
Image: dpa
Auroras were even visible in southern Germany, like here in Baden-Württemberg.
Image: dpa
Northern lights shine in the night sky over the landscape in eastern Brandenburg.
Image: dpa
Northern lights shine over Monthey, Bex and Aigle VD on Monday night...
Image: Keystone/Maxime Schmid
...and also over Davos GR.
Image: Keystone/Gian Ehrenzeller
Auroras were also visible over Saxony-Anhalt in Germany.
Image: dpa
Auroras were even visible in southern Germany, like here in Baden-Württemberg.
Image: dpa
Northern lights shine in the night sky over the landscape in eastern Brandenburg.
Image: dpa
The geomagnetic storm reached level 4 on a five-level scale and could cause disruptions to power grids and satellites, explained Shawn Dahl from the US Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC). The storm began on Monday and is expected to continue on Tuesday, but will lose intensity as the day progresses.
Trigger: strong solar flare
Although there was a storm of the highest level 5 in 2024 for the first time in 20 years, the current solar storm is the strongest since 2003, said Dahl. Back then, a so-called Halloween solar storm caused widespread power outages in Sweden, among other places, and damaged energy infrastructure in South Africa.
According to Dahl, the current storm was triggered by a strong solar flare. Particles emitted during this can disrupt the Earth's magnetic field, which, in addition to the northern lights, can also cause disruption to radio communications, problems with satellites and overloads in the power grid. Northern Lights could also occur in regions where they are otherwise rarely observed.
