Live forecast • Updated every hour

Will you see the northern lights tonight?

Real-time Kp index from NOAA, cloud cover for every Icelandic region, moon phase, and tonight's darkness window. No guesswork — just the numbers that matter for aurora chasing.

Geomagnetic
—Kp
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Moon phase
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Darkness window
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Best region tonight
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Tonight by region

Live cloud cover, Kp, and visibility score for all 8 Icelandic regions.

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How to chase

The essentials — clear skies, dark skies, patience, warmth.

Chase the clear sky

Iceland's weather is local. If your region shows clouds, drive 30–60 minutes to the next one — the forecast above updates per region for exactly this reason.

Escape light pollution

Reykjavík & Keflavík skies wash out weaker displays. Drive 15–20 km away from town lights for dramatically better visibility.

Patience pays

Aurora arrives in waves. Wait at least 45 minutes. The strongest displays often come in short bursts — get out of the car and keep looking up.

Dress for –10°C

Even when it's 0°C at dusk, wind chill at 1am on a headland is brutal. Wool base layer, insulated jacket, hat, gloves, thermal pants. Non-negotiable.

Ready to chase?

A rental car is the only way to actually catch the aurora.

Tours stick to a schedule and one location. With your own car you can drive toward the clearest sky the moment the forecast shifts — and that's how you win. Our KeyCar partnership gets you 15% off all vehicles with the code mapoficeland.

Book a car 15% off Camper vans →

Frequently
asked questions

What's the best time of year to see the northern lights in Iceland?
The aurora season runs September to April, when nights are dark enough. Peak months are October, February, and March — a sweet spot of darkness, decent weather, and fewer storms than deep winter. June and July are daylight 24/7 so aurora is technically invisible even if the Kp is high.
What does the Kp index mean for Iceland specifically?
The Kp index measures geomagnetic activity on a 0–9 scale. Iceland sits directly under the auroral oval, so you get good displays at surprisingly low Kp — a Kp of 2 is enough for visible auroras on a dark, clear night. Kp 4+ produces bright overhead displays. Kp 6+ means rare, dramatic activity visible from all over the country.
Do I need a car to see the aurora?
Technically no, realistically yes. Iceland's weather is hyper-local — you can watch clear sky turn to thick cloud in 20 minutes. A rental car lets you drive to the next region the moment the forecast shifts, which is how most successful aurora nights actually go. Book at /car-rental with code mapoficeland for 15% off.
How accurate is this forecast?
The Kp index comes directly from NOAA SWPC (the US government space weather service) and updates every 3 hours. Cloud cover is from Open-Meteo's ICON-D2 model at region-center coordinates, refreshed hourly. Visibility % is a composite of Kp strength, cloud cover, and moon brightness — a simple model, but directionally right. Always double-check with your own eyes: if the sky is black and clear and the Kp is above 2, go outside.
Can I see the aurora in Reykjavik?
Yes on strong nights (Kp 4+), but you'll miss the faint displays because of city lights. Drive 15–20 km outside town — Seltjarnarnes, Grotta lighthouse, or Mosfellsbaer all work. For bright displays, you don't even need to leave the city center.
Where does this data come from?
Everything on this page is fetched live from free public APIs every time you load it. Kp index from NOAA SWPC (services.swpc.noaa.gov). Weather and cloud cover from Open-Meteo (open-meteo.com). Moon phase is calculated from your device's clock. No AI, no hardcoded values, no guesswork.