RESIDENTS in East Lothian should be able to see the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, this evening (Wednesday). 

The stunning display of light is likely to be visible to much of Scotland - including East Lothian - thanks to a large solar flare that occurred earlier this week, according to scientists.

Alistair McLean, managing director of The Aurora Zone, said: “This time of year does coincide with the equinox which is often associated with higher levels of solar activity, and the Space Weather Prediction Centre is suggesting that we might see KP5 on Wednesday, March 14. 

“The KP index is the scale used to measure geomagnetic storms and it ranges from 0 (very little activity) to 9 (huge) and, as a basic rule of thumb, the larger the number, the further south the lights can be seen.

“This means that the Northern Lights may be visible from northern Scotland but as we always say, it’s more likely that they will be seen within the Aurora Zone itself.”