Stunning aurora australis lights up Whanganui skies

An aurora australis at Waiinu Beach near Whanganui, pictured between 5.30-7pm on Saturday, May 11. Photo / Jess Welch

An aurora australis put on a stunning display over New Zealand on Saturday night, with coastal areas in the Whanganui region attracting eager viewers.

Jess Welch captured these images between 5.30-7pm at Waiinu Beach with a Sony A 7R II camera and Tamron 28-75mm lens.

Strong geomagnetic activity combined with clear skies made for perfect viewing of the atmospheric event.

Photo / Jess Welch

Auroras result from magnetosphere disruptions caused by solar wind, altering the trajectories of charged particles.

These particles then rise into the upper atmosphere, creating colourful displays.

An aurora australis at Waiinu Beach near Whanganui, pictured between 5.30-7pm on Saturday, May 11. Photo / Jess Welch

The rare event came as Transpower issued a “grid emergency” notice due to a severe solar storm.

A spokesperson for the agency, which operates the New Zealand power grid, said a geomagnetic storm was likely to affect Earth over the weekend because of significant solar activity but was not expected to affect the electricity supply.