Solar eclipse 2026 weather forecast – where and when will the best view be?
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- A partial solar eclipse will occur on Wednesday, August 12, starting around 18:00 BST across the UK, with peak coverage between 19:02 and 19:16 BST depending on location.
- London will see approximately 90% of the Sun obscured at peak, and Cornwall up to 95% — the closest the UK will get to a total eclipse for quite some time.
- High pressure over continental Europe is forecast to bring a hot, sunny day with clear skies to most of the UK, giving much of the country a favorable view.
- Areas of cloud are expected to push through north Wales, northern England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland between 18:00 and 19:00 BST, with western Scotland and parts of Northern Ireland seeing outbreaks of rain.
- Iceland faces cloud and rain in the south during the eclipse with the best gaps in the north, while Spain and Portugal are forecast near-perfect views with clear skies.
- Viewers are advised to find a clear, unobstructed western horizon since the Sun will sit very low in the western sky during the eclipse.
Why it matters: For a rare nearly-total eclipse crossing the UK on August 12, the forecast split between high-pressure clarity and Atlantic cloud puts Scotland, Northern Ireland, and parts of north Wales at real risk of missing peak coverage — while clear skies for most of England, plus Spain and Portugal, make this the most widely watched partial eclipse the region has seen in decades.
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