#eclipse uk

Science

Cloud shrouds for the crowds? Eclipse hunters fear grey day in UK

The UK's first major eclipse in 16 years could be lost behind cloud cover. As millions of people prepare to witness the rare astronomical spectacle, the unpredictable British weather. Cloud cover is likely to obscure events, but darker skies and a slight drop in temperature will still be experienced during the event that will not be seen again in the UK until 2026. It will be the deepest solar eclipse shadow to fall across Britain since 1999. Observers will witness a near total eclipse with up to 97% of the sun blocked out, while South Wales and the north coasts of Devon and Wales are likely to have the clearest skies.

A partial eclipse is more risky by far than a total eclipse because people don't realise that even looking at a thin sliver of sun is dangerous. It's absolutely true that there is a serious risk to people's eyesight.

Robin Scagell, vice-president of the Society for Popular Astronomy

Around the country the proportion of the Sun covered by the Moon will increase towards the north, ranging from 84% in London to 89% in Manchester, 93% in Edinburgh, and 97% in Lerwick in the Shetland Isles. Robin Scagell, vice-president of the Society for Popular Astronomy, warned the event could become memorable for the wrong reasons if observers failed to heed warnings of the dangers. He said: "This one takes place right in the middle of the rush-hour - It's not the best time from a safety point of view. If people can't find a way to view the eclipse correctly then they shouldn't look because they're likely to damage their eyes."

While the impact over the UK is not likely to be as substantial as for other European countries, this eclipse is a rare opportunity to challenge in a worst-case scenario the mathematical models we are developing to predict the behaviour of large populations of solar panels.