Eclipse - live: Stunning solar eclipse underway in UK - when it will peak tonight

Eclipse - live: Stunning solar eclipse underway in UK - when it will peak tonight The first near-total solar eclipse visible from the UK since 1999 is now underway with experts warning Brits not to use sunglasses or their phones to watch it A once-in-a-generation solar eclipse has begun over the UK with crowds flocking to watch across the country. The celestial show sees the Moon slide in front of the Sun in the UK's first near-total solar eclipse in more than half a century. Daylight is dimming as the Moon blocks out more than 90% of the Sun in Britain, creating a fascinating crescent-shape in the evening sky. A total solar eclipse will then stun skygazers in parts of Spain, Portugal and Iceland. Exact timings will depend on where you're located and can be seen in full here, but the maximum eclipse is expected shortly after 7pm before the Sun gradually re-emerges. In London, the eclipse will peak at 7.13pm and end at 8.06pm. Experts have warned that looking directly at the Sun without proper protection can cause permanent eye damage and ordinary sunglasses are not enough. Only special solar eclipse glasses that are ISO 12312-2 certified should be used. You can follow live footage of the solar eclipse over the UK here. Key Events While much of the UK is enjoying a bright, clear afternoon - not everywhere has ideal viewing conditions today. The eclipse is still just getting started here in the UK, as you can see via our live stream, but it is already quite far along in Greenland which saw the event begin earlier this afternoon. Andy Lines, chief reporter is watching the eclipse at Le Crotoy in northern France. Beaches in northern France are packed as British holidaymakers and locals enjoyed the early evening sunshine ready to experience the eclipse. On the Baie de Somme hundreds sat enjoying picnics as the eclipse edged nearer. In the Picardy village of Le Crotoy people took to the huge beach for the best view. It’s where adventure author Jules Verne, who wrote “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”, used to live. The local paper the Courier Picard gave instructions on the best place to observe it. But all the shops in the surrounding area had all sold out of special viewing Deputy travel editor Milo Boyd is watching the spectacular eclipse show from Miranda de Ebro, near Bilbao, in Spain. Hundreds of eclipse seekers have gathered on a hill in Miranda de Ebro with 15 minutes to go until the eclipse begins, writes deputy travel editor Milo Boyd. Sweating through 35C temperatures and a steep walk, Germans, Belgians, Dutch, Brits sunseekers from across the Continent have joined the mostly Spanish crowd next to the town’s fort, with a clear view west towards the Sun. Miranda de Ebro is the bargain seekers option, with hotel rooms costing around 60% less than in Burgos - the unofficial capital of the 2026 eclipse. The period of total darkness will be around 20 seconds less here, so not a bad trade off. The sky is promisingly cloud-light an hour and 15 minutes from the moment of totality. Not everyone has been moved by the promise of the rare celestial event. “Not for me,” the owner of a local bar told me before heading for a siesta. “Just make sure to come back for a drink when it’s done.” The solar eclipse is now visible from the UK, with part of the Sun being covered by the moon. Mirror reporter Saskia Rowlands is speaking to excited skygazers at Land's End. People have travelled from far and wide to catch a glimpse of the eclipse at Land’s End. Susan Carpenter, 70, drove down to Cornwall from Newbury, Berks, this morning with her husband, daughter and grandson. She told us: “For the last eclipse in 1999, we took our children to Devon and we’ve brought our grandson so he can experience an eclipse. “The last one [eclipse] was phenomenal —it was at 11 in the morning. “Everything went black and the birds went to sleep and as it went over the birds started to wake and you get the dawn chorus. The children couldn’t believe it. It’s a really good experience.” Steve Lipscombe, from Mitcham, South London, watched the 1999 eclipse from Devon, but last minute cloud cover obscured his view. He said: “I was in Penzance with the Radio 1 roadshow they did back then. “It was a lovely day like today, but it went cloudy just as the eclipse was starting to happen, so we basically missed it, which was terrible — I’d travelled 300 miles there and back, so I’m back again today for take two. “I like celestial things, I’ve seen many shooting star showers - but there’s not another eclipse for 65 years in this country.” The long-awaited solar eclipse is finally upon us - and you don't even need to leave the sofa to see it. Although the skies are forecast to be clear across much of the country, if you haven't got access to an eclipse viewer or aren't able to head outside, don't worry - we've got you covered with live streams beaming in the action as it happens. You can watch the whole thing live right here. Across the UK people are getting ready for the spectacle of the partial solar eclipse. One man has travelled all the way from Yorkshire with his family to watch the best of the eclipse at Lands End. The path of the moon’s shadow is about to hit the UK. The first place to see the eclipse will be in the north of Britain, with people in Scotland seeing the first little bite taken out of the sun shortly after 6pm. People in Edinburgh should be able to see the start of the eclipse at around 6.08pm, and over the next ten minutes or so it should become visible further south until it starts in Cornwall at about 6.18pm. It will then take around an hour to ‘peak’ until eventually between 90% and 95% of the sun is covered by the moon, depending on where in the UK you are watching from. You can check exactly what time the eclipse will happen where you live by using our special tool here. The shadow of the moon is making its way toward the UK, after the eclipse peaked over Anchorage, Alaska, at around 5.30pm UK time, it has now swept on across the northern hemisphere and is currently over Greenland. Next will pass over parts of north western Iceland before making its way past the UK. Today's solar eclipse will see up to 96 per cent of the Sun covered by the Moon, making it the most significant event of this kind since 1999. After Wednesday's dramatic moment, many skygazers will be left wondering when the UK will next see an eclipse. Here's when we can expect the next one. The Mirror’s reporter Saskia Rowlands is at Lands End in Cornwall. She has sent the following report. Hundreds are beginning to gather at Land’s End, Cornwall ahead of the eclipse. An evening of music and kids activities is planned at the Cornish hotspot and organisers have opened extra car parking spaces. Land’s End - England’s most southerly point - is set to see 98.5% coverage of the sun by the moon — the highest on the mainland. Shop Judy’s Body Art, a shack next to the infamous Land’s End sign, has sold over 140 pairs of eclipse glasses since opening at midday. Owner Judith Dyulaine Buskas, who sold our reporter one of the last pairs, said: “We have been very busy today, and only have a few pairs left. “We are very excited for tonight - it will be the last eclipse in my lifetime.” The first place to witness today’s eclipse, Anchorage in Alaska, has seen the skies starting to darken. The next place to witness the phenomenon will be Greenland at 5.30pm With long queues for eclipse glasses and shops sold out up and down the UK, there is still time to make your own safe way to observe the cosmic show. Unless you have genuine eclipse glasses (which have widely sold out), viewing the eclipse indirectly through a DIY pinhole projector is the best way to enjoy the spectacle without risking permanent retinal damage. Click here for our simple step-by-step guide. The Met Office has confirmed that most parts of England and Wales have an “excellent” chance of seeing the eclipse. Much of the UK is set for clear skies and a warm evening, with cloud predicted further north in parts of Scotland. The RNLI in Jersey is warning people not to swim during today's eclipse. In an alert to residents, the charity said: "With an increase in swell, large pushing tides in the evenings and highs of 35 degrees forecast, RNLI lifeguards are urging beach goes not to swim in the sea after lifeguard patrols finish at 6pm. "As well as big spring tides over the next few days, we also have a partial eclipse taking place tomorrow evening! "St Ouen’s Bay will be a great place to view it but it can have strong rip currents right across the bay so please take care. Do not look directly at the eclipse unless you have the correct glasses." The best locations to view the eclipse are in the far south western areas of Devon and Cornwall, where up to 96 per cent of the sun will be obscured by the moon. The rest of Wales, Northern Ireland, parts of the West Midlands and the South West, and the westernmost parts of Scotland can expect to see 92 per cent to 94 per cent solar coverage. The latest Met Office forecast shows that most of England and Wales will have clear skies on Wednesday evening. You can check exactly what time the eclipse will happen where you live by using our special tool here. The RAC has warned of an increased risk of collisions during today’s eclipse. RAC head of policy Simon Williams has warned anyone travelling west at the time of the eclipse this evening to be safe. He said: “Taking your eyes off the road even for a split second to try to catch a glimpse of the sun as it disappears behind the moon increases the risk of being involved in a collision, not to mention the potential for suffering long-term damage to your vision.” Drivers may need to turn on their headlights during the eclipse, he added. Drivers without automatic headlights "may need to switch on their dipped beams to ensure they are easily visible to other road users", Mr Williams said. "The best advice to enjoy this rare event is to pull over somewhere safe and watch with specialist glasses,” he added. Crowds of people have flocked to Cornwall to watch the solar eclipse. In Falmouth there have been long queues as people flock to buy special glasses to watch the eclipse safely. Today's partial solar eclipse is the most coverage during an eclipse viewed from the UK since 1999, with the moon covering 90-96% of the sun. Being situated in the far south west of the UK, people in Cornwall have the opportunity to watch the partial eclipse at a particularly high level of totality, with around 95 percent of the sun obscured. According to NASA, eclipse glasses are several thousand times darker than sunglasses, meaning they are safe for viewing the Sun. If you have a pair of eclipse glasses, NASA recommends inspecting them for damage before using and discarding the goggles if torn or scratched. The organisation also says you should not use eclipse glasses while looking through binoculars, camera lenses, or any other optical device, as the concentrated solar rays will burn through the glasses’ filter and could cause eye injuries. Britain’s electricity grid operator has cancelled its call to the industry to generate more power during Wednesday evening’s solar eclipse. The National Energy System Operator (Neso) had issued the notice in the early hours of Wednesday, saying it was taking the “precautionary measure” to make sure it has a “greater safety cushion” between demand and energy supply. It indicated it was forecasting a potentially tight period for electricity margins between 6pm and 8pm on Wednesday. However, Neso – the body which is tasked with making sure the supply of electricity matches demand for it – cancelled the notice shortly after 2pm on Wednesday. It is the latest in a number of so-called electricity margin notices issued by Neso this year, with previous notices coming during the summer’s heatwaves. Director of optical practice for Boots Opticians, Kyla Black, told Metro that eclipse chasers shouldn’t watch through their phone screens. "You should not watch the eclipse directly through your camera or phone camera due to the lenses not having specially designed solar filters," she says. "While it’s tempting to look up and enjoy the moment, it’s important to remember that viewing a solar eclipse incorrectly can cause serious and permanent damage to your eyes." Pointing either the back or front-facing phone camera at the sun for an extended period can also damage the device. As hundreds have queued at shops across the UK to get their hands on a last-minute pair of eclipse glasses, one man has shared the experience took him three hours. A queue appearing to snake around multiple buildings is pictured, with user Tony Bhai explaining that he eventually managed to buy three pairs of glasses after waiting for three hours. Shoppers have so far been spotted lining the streets in Weymouth, London, Wrexham and Kent. If you will be driving during the eclipse tonight and your car doesn't have automatic lights, make sure to turn them on. The RAC said this might be necessary to boost visibility to other road users amid the twilight conditions. More than 90 per cent of the sun will be obscured by the moon between 6.17pm and 8.06pm today across the UK. RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: "While total darkness is unlikely, those with vehicles that don’t have automatic headlights or daylight running lights may need to switch on their dipped beams to ensure they are easily visible to other road users. "The best advice to enjoy this rare event is to pull over somewhere safe and watch with specialist glasses." Mr Williams urged anyone driving in a westerly direction around the time of the eclipse to avoid being distracted. A number of issues have been issued by eye specialists about how to safely watch the eclipse tonight in order to avoid serious and permanent eye damage. Moorfields Eye Hospital has listed potential symptoms to be aware of after looking at the sun, including: - Eye pain - Redness - Grittiness or irritation - Blurred vision - Distorted vision - New dark spots in your vision - Sudden changes in sight Alex Ionides, consultant ophthalmic surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital and Moorfields Private, said: "If someone has looked at the sun and subsequently develops any of (these) symptoms, they should seek urgent medical attention." Only special solar eclipse glasses that are ISO 12312-2 certified for the safest eye protection should be used to view the eclipse, experts said. Sunglasses do not offer sufficient protection. The rush to get to northern Spain and Portugal to experience the eclipse has pushed up prices massively, writes Mirror deputy travel editor Milo Boyd. When I checked a month ago, staying anywhere in Spain’s path of totality was virtually impossible. Remaining budget hotel rooms had been jacked up to £1,000 a night, campsites were at full capacity and typically affordable hostels had long sold out despite charging an eclipse premium. If you’re desperate to experience the full darkness of a solar eclipse, but didn’t make it to Spain, Portugal or Iceland this time, the bad news is that the next total solar eclipse in the UK isn’t until September 2090 (I’ll be 98 and five days old). The good news is that it’s happening again, much sooner, in Spain. Not just once, but twice. On August 2, 2027, southern Spain will be bathed in eclipse darkness, before an annular eclipse on January 26, 2028. During an annular eclipse a ring of Sun can be seen burning around the Moon’s edge, due to the Moon’s positioning closer to the Earth than during a total solar eclipse. A camera shop in Wales has sold 500 pairs of special eclipse glasses within a few hours. Joel Longbone, who owns Cambrian Photography in Colwyn Bay, said the store has been overwhelmed by demand this morning. "We could never have expected this in a month of Sundays," he told the BBC. Joel said fifty pairs of the glasses sold out in three minutes yesterday, and another 500 were gone by 11am this morning. "We were limiting it to two pairs a customer," he said. A video shows a massive queue of people lining the streets in Whitechapel, east London, as the hunt for solar eclipse glasses continues. People were spotted queueing for several hours - even throughout the night - to get their hands on the specialist glasses from a convenience store. The Mirror's Deputy Travel Editor Milo Boyd is in Bilbao, Spain, where excitement is mounting as the country awaits a spectacular total solar eclipse. The eclipse will begin its partial phases around 7:30pm local time (6:30pm UK time), with totality occurring across northern and eastern regions shortly before sunset between 8:26pm and 8:33pm. Every single train, bus and coach heading south from Spain's north coast is sold out today as eclipse fans head towards the centre of the path of totality, writes Milo in Bilbao. The majority are on the way to Burgos, a city of 176,000 which will be plunged into darkness for 1 minute 44 seconds at 8.29pm local time. Smaller towns and villages nearby, such as Lerma, have been swamped by visitors looking for a perfect eclipse viewing point. Travel firm Intrepid has ferried 200 eclipse seekers to a field outside of Burgos it believes will be the best for unobstructed viewing this evening. Heading to the hills is key, as the late hour of the moment of totality means the Sun will be low in the sky and potentially dipping behind hills and trees for those closer to sea level.