Budding photographers and astronomers have been treated to a ‘once in a lifetime’ astral event in island skies tonight.

The northern lights, or Aurora Borealis, have been visible through cameras and in some cases the naked eye across the island due to a severe solar storm, which hit earth on Friday night into Saturday morning.

Social media has been awash with photos including the ones below taken at various places across the island.

The UK Met Office said earlier: ‘Multiple Earth-directed Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) were observed leaving the sun between May 8 and 9. 

‘Due to the differing speed of the various CMEs they are expected to combine into a single larger arrival towards the end of day on Friday, May 10 or early Saturday, May 11. 

‘Where skies are clear and provided dark enough skies, sightings are expected to develop following the CME arrival across the northern half of the UK, with a chance that aurora may become visible to all parts of the UK and similar geomagnetic latitudes. 

‘Enhanced activity is expected to persist, but at reduced levels through the night from Saturday into Sunday.’