'Spectacular' Northern Lights seen in Cornwall

A woman in Cornwall said she captured "stunning" photos of the Northern Lights in Cornwall.

Jo Shreeve said she got an alert on her phone on Sunday at about 20:30 GMT and headed to Portreath Beach.

The lights occur when charged particles from the sun hit gases in the Earth's atmosphere.

"It was just like a spectacular show. It was not as bright with the naked eye, you could just make out the colours," she said.

"But when it came through on the camera, it was stunning," she added.

Ms Shreeve said she was "squealing and jumping" when she saw the colours light up the sky.

She said her eight-year-old daughter Ezmay was also "excited" by the sight.

"This happened about four times last year. The sun is in a solar maximum, so it is coming to its peaks. It will probably happen a few more times this year," said Ms Shreeve.

The scientific name for the Northern Lights is the Aurora Borealis.

According to the Met Office, the illuminations are most common during the equinox in March and September, when the Earth is not tilted towards or away from the sun.

Photographer and filmmaker Polly Ford also said she captured the Northern Lights from St Agnes Head.

Follow BBC Cornwall on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].