Three norths leave England as historic alignment crosses into the North Sea

On December 13, 2025, the triple alignment of true north, magnetic north and grid north left England at Berwick-upon-Tweed and moved into the North Sea, according to the British Geological Survey (BGS).

Experts describe the event as the first of its kind since records began and say it may take hundreds of years before the alignment recurs. The line of alignment follows the 2°W longitude meridian, a pathway that connected a succession of towns as the three definitions of north merged along the surface of Britain. By the time it reached Berwick-upon-Tweed in December 2025, the trio had traveled about 358 miles (576 kilometers) in 1,127 days, roughly 0.23 inches per second (about 0.013 miles per hour).

From Langton Matravers, west of Swanage in Dorset, the alignment began in November 2022, marking the first moment when true north, magnetic north and grid north coincided at landfall. It then moved northward to Devizes in Wiltshire in May 2023, Lower Dowdeswell in Gloucestershire in September 2023, Woodgate Valley Country Park in Birmingham in January 2024, Leek in Staffordshire in May 2024, and Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire in October 2024. By April 2025 it had reached Eggleston in the North Pennines, followed by Flotterton in Northumberland in August 2025 and Berwick-upon-Tweed at the end of 2025.

The three norths—true north, magnetic north and grid north—are defined differently. True north is the direction toward the geographic North Pole, determined by the planet’s rotation. Grid north is the direction indicated by map grid lines, which on Ordnance Survey maps converge toward the top of the map. Magnetic north is the direction that a compass points as it aligns with Earth’s magnetic field, which is generated by currents in the planet’s molten outer core and continues to drift over time. Magnetic north moves slowly, about 30 miles per year, and its wandering is a key reason this alignment is not expected to recur soon.

The alignment’s track has been described as a “special line” along which magnetic north has coincided with true north and grid north. The line’s progression is tied to a fixed longitude, the 2°W meridian, which means that along this vertical axis a compass, an Ordnance Survey map, and the Earth’s axis could all point in the same direction at the same time. While the alignment has captured public attention, experts emphasize that navigators—pilots, sailors and others—face no operational impact once the alignment moves off land.

The voyage through Britain is not over. After crossing the North Sea, the line is projected to land again in Scotland in late October 2026 at Drums, just south of Newburgh. It is expected to pass Mintlaw in Aberdeenshire and reach Fraserburgh around mid-December 2026 before moving back toward the North Sea. From there, the three norths are anticipated to continue northward for a time before magnetic north diverges from true north and grid north. In total, the alignment is expected to stay in a near-triple convergence for a few more years, albeit with magnetic north gradually separating from the other two definitions.

Dr. Ciarán Beggan, a geophysicist with the BGS, called the crossing a historic moment for geospatial history. “It’s been a privilege to be able to observe this phenomenon over the past few years,” he said. “Although part of geospatial history, there is no impact for navigators, pilots and captains once the alignment leaves.”

The scientific basis for the phenomenon lies in the Earth’s magnetic field, generated by convection currents in liquid iron in the outer core. The geodynamo, driven by heat differentials and the Coriolis force due to the planet’s rotation, creates magnetic fields that guide compass needles. As the outer core’s convection currents shift over time, magnetic north migrates gradually across the globe, leading to the observed drift and, on rare occasions, extended periods where magnetic north aligns with true and grid north along a common line.

The British Geological Survey notes that while such a convergence is extraordinary, it does not alter the fundamental navigation equations used by modern systems. The alignment’s duration and exact trajectory are subject to the long-term, slow evolution of Earth’s magnetic field, which remains imperfectly predictable more than a few years ahead. The latest chapter in this years-long journey has underscored the dynamic nature of Earth’s interior and its visible, practical manifestations on the surface.

This event has been described by scientists as a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, largely due to the wandering magnetic north and the rare alignment of all three north definitions along a single pathway. The line’s final chapters will be watched closely by researchers who study geomagnetism, navigation and geodesy, as they offer a rare, empirical glimpse into the slow-moving dance of Earth’s magnetic field and the grid systems that underpin modern mapping.