The northern lights could be seen all over Canada and a 'more intense' aurora is forecast

Look to the sky even if you're in southern Ontario!

northern lights in the sky above the cn tower in toronto

Northern lights in Toronto.

Senior Writer

The northern lights could be seen across Canada on Thursday and Friday, including southern Ontario and B.C.

Some places are set to get a "more intense" aurora because of geomagnetic storms.

A new northern lights forecast from NOAA revealed that the northern lights are plunging south on Thursday, August 7 and Friday, August 8.

On the forecast map, the aurora is a green oval centred on the Earth's magnetic pole. That green oval becomes red when the aurora is forecast to be "more intense."

This map also includes a view line that shows how far south the aurora could be visible along the northern horizon.

On August 7, you could see a "more intense" aurora in Bella Coola, Prince George, Whitehorse, Edmonton, Calgary, Banff, Yellowknife, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Churchill, Thunder Bay, Moosonee, and Labrador City.

A less intense aurora is forecast in Victoria, Nanaimo, Vancouver, Kelowna, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Timmins, Quebec City, Rimouski, Saguenay and Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Hamilton, Windsor, Kingston, Ottawa, Montreal, Fredericton, Moncton, Charlottetown, Sydney, St. John's and nearby areas are within the view line.

That means you could see the northern lights along the northern horizon in those places on Thursday night!

northern lights forecast map of canada for thursday august 7 2025 Northern lights forecast for Thursday, August 7, 2025.NOAA

On August 8, a "more intense" aurora is forecast in Whitehorse, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Yellowknife, and Churchill.

The northern lights should be less intense but still visible in Victoria, Vancouver, Kelowna, Calgary, Lethbridge, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay and Timmins.

Also, Toronto, the GTA, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Moncton, Fredericton and Charlottetown are within the view line for Friday night.

northern lights forecast map of canada for friday august 8 2025 Northern lights forecast for Friday, August 8, 2025.NOAA

If you want to see the northern lights this week, the Canadian Space Agency has northern lights viewing tips that can help you.

Usually, the northern lights appear a few hours after sunset and become more intense around midnight.

You need to find a place with little or no light pollution. If a less intense aurora is forecast, even a bit of city light can block the view.

Once you're in a dark location, look all around because the northern lights can appear anywhere in the sky.

NOAA said that if you're in a place along this forecast's view line, the northern lights will only be visible toward the northern horizon.

You don't need special equipment like a telescope or binoculars to see the northern lights, just look to the sky.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.

  • Senior Writer

    Lisa Belmonte (she/her) is a Senior Writer with Narcity Media. After graduating with a Bachelor of Journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), she joined the Narcity team. Lisa covers news and notices from across the country from a Canada-wide perspective. Her early coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic earned Narcity its first-ever national journalism award nomination.

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