The Met Office said “severe geomagnetic storms” were observed, producing “widespread auroras visible across the UK, with reports extending as far south as northern Italy”.
The activity is expected to decline but may still be visible in parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland on Tuesday, it added.
The Met Office said the aurora was the result of a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) – when the Sun emits really large clouds of particles.
Colours are then produced when those particles hit oxygen and nitrogen gases in the Earth’s atmosphere. Oxygen atoms glow green – the colour most often seen in the Northern Lights, while nitrogen atoms emit purple, blue and pink.