A significant partial solar eclipse will be visible across the UK on Wednesday 12 August, with the Moon beginning to cross the Sun from around 18:00 BST and reaching its peak between 19:02 and 19:16 BST depending on location. BBC Weather presenters describe it as one of the most striking eclipses the UK has witnessed in decades, and viewing conditions look promising for much of the country thanks to high pressure bringing largely dry, clear and sunny weather.

At maximum coverage, roughly 90% of the Sun will be obscured over London, rising to about 95% in Cornwall. However, cloud and even some rain could interfere with views in parts of north Wales, northern England, and especially Scotland and Northern Ireland, where low pressure and weather fronts are pushing in from the Atlantic. Forecasters advise finding a clear, unobstructed view towards the west, ideally somewhere elevated and away from trees or buildings, since the Sun will sit low in the sky; further afield, Spain and Portugal are expecting near-perfect clear skies, while Iceland faces a mixed picture of cloud and rain.