Exact times Solar Eclipse 2026 will take place across UK  - every area listed

Exact times Solar Eclipse 2026 will take place across UK - every area listed A dramatic solar eclipse is just days away from sweeping across the UK - here are the key timings for locations across the country A spectacular solar eclipse will sweep across the UK on Wednesday, August 12 - but the timing of the celestial event will vary depending on your location. That evening, the Moon will pass directly between the Sun and Earth, blocking some or all of the Sun's light from parts of our planet and casting a dramatic shadow across the Northern Hemisphere. Much of Europe, including the UK, as well as parts of Canada, the northern United States and north-west Africa, will experience a striking partial eclipse. In many locations across the UK, more than 90 per cent of the Sun's visible disc will be covered by the Moon. Those in the south-west of the British Isles will see the greatest eclipse coverage, according to the Royal Observatory Greenwich. A total eclipse - when the Moon completely covers the Sun, leaving observers within the darkest part of the Moon's shadow - will be visible from parts of northern Spain, the north-east corner of Portugal, eastern Greenland, western Iceland, northern Russia and the Atlantic Ocean. An interactive map from astronomical tracking site Time and Date allows users to select a location to find out when the eclipse will begin, reach its maximum and end, as well as the maximum coverage at that location. Based on this data, the eclipse will occur at the following times in the UK: England Birmingham - Eclipse coverage: 91 per cent - Eclipse starts: 6.15pm - Eclipse reaches maximum: 7.11pm - Eclipse ends: 8.05pm Bristol - Eclipse coverage: 92 per cent - Eclipse starts: 6.17pm - Eclipse reaches maximum: 7.13pm - Eclipse ends: 8.07pm Cornwall - Eclipse coverage: 95 per cent - Eclipse starts: 6.18pm - Eclipse reaches maximum: 7.15pm - Eclipse ends: 8.09pm Liverpool - Eclipse coverage: 91 per cent - Eclipse starts: 6.13pm - Eclipse reaches maximum: 7.10pm - Eclipse ends: 8.04pm London - Eclipse coverage: 91 per cent - Eclipse starts: 6.17pm - Eclipse reaches maximum: 7.13pm - Eclipse ends: 8.06pm Manchester - Eclipse coverage: 91 per cent - Eclipse starts: 6.13pm - Eclipse reaches maximum: 7.10pm - Eclipse ends: 8.03pm Southampton - Eclipse coverage: 92 per cent - Eclipse starts: 6.18pm - Eclipse reaches maximum: 7.14pm - Eclipse ends: 8.07pm Scotland Aberdeen - Eclipse coverage: 89 per cent - Eclipse starts: 6.06pm - Eclipse reaches maximum: 7.03pm - Eclipse ends: 7.57pm Dundee - Eclipse coverage: 90 per cent - Eclipse starts: 6.07pm - Eclipse reaches maximum: 7.04pm - Eclipse ends: 7.59pm Edinburgh - Eclipse coverage: 90 per cent - Eclipse starts: 6.08pm - Eclipse reaches maximum: 7.05pm - Eclipse ends: 8.00pm Fort William - Eclipse coverage: 91 per cent - Eclipse starts: 6.06pm - Eclipse reaches maximum: 7.04pm - Eclipse ends: 7.59pm Glasgow - Eclipse coverage: 91 per cent - Eclipse starts: 6.08pm - Eclipse reaches maximum: 7.06pm - Eclipse ends: 8.00pm Inverness - Eclipse coverage: 90 per cent - Eclipse starts: 6.05pm - Eclipse reaches maximum: 7.03pm - Eclipse ends: 7.57pm Lerwick - Eclipse coverage: 88 per cent - Eclipse starts: 6.01pm - Eclipse reaches maximum: 6.58pm - Eclipse ends: 7.52pm Wales Aberystwyth - Eclipse coverage: 93 per cent - Eclipse starts: 6.15pm - Eclipse reaches maximum: 7.12pm - Eclipse ends: 8.06pm Bangor - Eclipse coverage: 92 per cent - Eclipse starts: 6.13pm - Eclipse reaches maximum: 7.10pm - Eclipse ends: 8.04pm Cardiff - Eclipse coverage: 93 per cent - Eclipse starts: 6.16pm - Eclipse reaches maximum: 7.13pm - Eclipse ends: 8.07pm Colwyn Bay - Eclipse coverage: 92 per cent - Eclipse starts: 6.13pm - Eclipse reaches maximum: 7.10pm - Eclipse ends: 8.04pm Newport - Eclipse coverage: 93 per cent - Eclipse starts: 6.16pm - Eclipse reaches maximum: 7.13pm - Eclipse ends: 8.07pm Newtown - Eclipse coverage: 92 per cent - Eclipse starts: 6.15pm - Eclipse reaches maximum: 7.11pm - Eclipse ends: 8.05pm Swansea - Eclipse coverage: 93 per cent - Eclipse starts: 6.16pm - Eclipse reaches maximum: 7.13pm - Eclipse ends: 8.07pm Northern Ireland Armagh - Eclipse coverage: 93 per cent - Eclipse starts: 6.10pm - Eclipse reaches maximum: 7.08pm - Eclipse ends: 8.03pm Belfast - Eclipse coverage: 93 per cent - Eclipse starts: 6.10pm - Eclipse reaches maximum: 7.08pm - Eclipse ends: 8.03pm Craigavon - Eclipse coverage: 93 per cent - Eclipse starts: 6.10pm - Eclipse reaches maximum: 7.08pm - Eclipse ends: 8.03pm Lisburn - Eclipse coverage: 93 per cent - Eclipse starts: 6.10pm - Eclipse reaches maximum: 7.08pm - Eclipse ends: 8.03pm Londonderry - Eclipse coverage: 93 per cent - Eclipse starts: 6.09pm - Eclipse reaches maximum: 7.07pm - Eclipse ends: 8.02pm Omagh - Eclipse coverage: 93 per cent - Eclipse starts: 6.10pm - Eclipse reaches maximum: 7.08pm - Eclipse ends: 8.03pm The Time and Date website says that while the "eclipse information presented on its map is determined mathematically to a high degree of accuracy", "total accuracy is impossible to achieve". It explains: "if you are in a location that is very close to the edge of the area experiencing totality or annularity during a solar eclipse, it may be wise to move a few hundred meters toward the center of that area to be on the safe side." Don't forget your eclipse glasses - or make a safe alternative at home Health officials have advised those planning to watch the eclipse to use specially designed eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers to protect their eyes from harmful solar radiation. "Ordinary sunglasses - no matter how dark - do not provide adequate protection for viewing a solar eclipse," the UK Health Security Agency has warned. The Royal College of Ophthalmologists reported around 70 cases of people experiencing vision problems after viewing the 1999 solar eclipse, during which a total eclipse was visible across much of Cornwall and Devon. Around 40 per cent of those affected had observed it for less than a minute. If you're planning to use eclipse glasses, make sure they are genuine and comply with the international safety standard ISO 12312-2:2015(E). The certification code should be printed somewhere on the glasses. For those without eclipse glasses, there are other ways to watch the eclipse safely using items you may already have at home. - Make a simple pinhole projector and project the Sun’s image onto a sheet of paper. - View the Sun’s image projected through a colander or the gaps between tree leaves. You can also watch the eclipse online. The European Space Agency is hosting a live webcast from Spain's Astrophysical Observatory of Javalambre, alongside a public celebration in León. NASA will also provide coverage, as will the Italy-based Virtual Telescope Project, among others.