Eye specialists are urging people who watched Wednesday’s solar eclipse to monitor their vision for possible damage caused by looking directly at the sun without suitable protection. The concern is solar retinopathy, in which intense light and ultraviolet radiation harm the retina; because the retina does not feel pain, symptoms may emerge only hours later.

Warning signs include blurred or distorted central vision, a grey, yellow or dark central spot, sudden visual changes and greater sensitivity to light, as well as eye pain, redness or irritation. About 70 people suffered sight damage after the 1999 UK-visible eclipse, sometimes after looking for under a minute, although Moorfields Eye Hospital has so far received fewer enquiries following this partial eclipse; anyone concerned is advised to seek urgent assessment from an optician or eye service.