People were left stunned as a rare solar storm led to the appearance of the Northern Lights in Kent.

Many people stayed up all night to witness the spectacular aurora borealis, which followed the biggest solar storm for 20 years.

The breathtaking spectacle remained visible until dawn, with Kent one of the best places in the UK for sightings.

Hundreds of people took to social media to share their own images of the colourful display.

People across the county stayed up late to capture the phenomenon, with many in disbelief at what they were seeing.

Ruth Brooks described it as a “life-long dream” to see the Northern Lights in her own back garden.

Wheeler Deborah Margaret said the event brought “tears to her eyes”.

She added: “My phone doesn’t do them justice but I’ll never ever forget the experience. I had goosebumps and tears.

“I stood there for four hours with a crick in my neck!”

But not everyone was fortunate enough to see the spectacular sight, with many left “gutted” they did not witness it.

Bobbie-Louise Willis said: “I must be the only one who was looking and couldn't see them.”

Gemma Wilson added: “No! I was asleep and I’m gutted.”

However, experts say there is still a chance to witness the Northern Lights again tonight.

Chris Snell, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “It is hard to fully predict what will happen in the Earth’s atmosphere, but there will still be enhanced solar activity tonight, so the lights could be visible again in northern parts of the UK, including Scotland, Northern Ireland and the far north of England.”

He advised those hoping to see the lights on Saturday to head to an area with low light pollution and to use a good camera.

He added: “The best chance you have of seeing the lights is if you are away from street lights and areas with lots of light pollution, as any type of light does have a big effect.

“Also, at this time of year, we are fighting the shorter length of nights, so it is unlikely that they will be visible until around 10.30pm or 11 o’clock when it gets really dark.”

Sightings in southern parts of the UK are less likely tonight, but Mr Snell said the lights might be visible through a strong camera lens.

The visibility of the Northern Lights was increased last night because of an “extreme” geomagnetic storm, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The NOAA said the G5 geomagnetic storm, which was considered extreme and was the strongest level of geomagnetic storm, hit earth on Thursday, with fears it could affect communications, GPS and power grids.

The cause of the storm was a “large, complex” sunspot cluster and was 17 times the diameter of Earth, with the last storm with a G5 rating hitting earth in October 2003, causing power outages in Sweden.

The NOAA said the lights could be seen as far south as Alabama and southern California in the US last night.

Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said yesterday there was a good chance for the Northern Lights to be seen.

He said: “Although the shorter nights will limit the visibility window, there’s a good chance to see the aurora, particularly on Friday night and especially in Scotland, Ireland and parts of northern England and Wales.

“There could even be visibility further south if you have the right equipment.

“Those conditions could continue on Saturday night but we still have to work out some details on where exactly that will be.”

Mr Dixon said the combination of clear skies and enhanced activity from the sun reaching Earth would improve the chances of seeing the display.

Aurora displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles.

In the northern hemisphere, most of this activity takes place within a band known as the aurora oval, covering latitudes between 60 and 75 degrees.