Solar eclipse live updates: Huge queues form in last-minute scramble for glasses as UK braces for pandemonium and spate of accidents

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• Tonight, a partial solar eclipse will be visible across the UK.
• First contact – the moment the moon’s shadow is first visible on the sun – will begin shortly after 18:00 BST.
• Maximum coverage will occur roughly one hour later, starting after 19:00 BST.
• Exactly how much of the sun will be obscured will depend on where you are, but up to 96 per cent could be hidden in some parts of the country.

Exactly when the eclipse starts will depend on where you are viewing it from, with those further to the north getting the first peak.

Tonight’s solar eclipse kicked off with a partial eclipse visible from Anchorage, Alaska, just after 16:30 BST. We will be bringing you the first pictures of that as they come through.

The eclipse will then begin to be visible over Iceland between 17:43 and 17:46 BST, depending on the location on the island.

In the UK, first contact – the moment the moon’s shadow first appears on the sun – won’t occur until 18:08 in Scotland.

Viewers in London, meanwhile, will need to wait a little longer until first contact becomes visible at 18:17.

In Spain, where a total eclipse will be visible, first contact will occur at 19:28 BST.

Aside from being incredible to look at, they are also known to create no shortage of strange events.

The unexpected darkness will disrupt the internal clocks of many animals, change weather patterns, lead to a spike in road accidents, and even change microbe behaviour.

These are the weirdest things that will happen tonight:

Animals will act strangely

• Animals rely on cues from nature to understand what time of day it is.
• As a result, the darkened sky brought on by an eclipse can cause wildlife to shift their routines.
• For example, during the 2017 total solar eclipse over the US, fireflies started flashing their lights when the phenomenon hit its peak.
• The sudden darkness can also cause pets to act oddly, as they expect to encounter a storm.

There will be a spike in traffic accidents

• During the 2017 solar eclipse over the US, scientists from the University of Toronto charted a spike in road traffic accidents.
• While the reason for this spike remains unclear, the researchers say it’s probably not down to the change of light itself.
• Instead, this is likely caused by increased traffic as people drive to see the eclipse.
• It will suddenly get cooler
• Temperatures across the UK will drop by several degrees tonight, thanks to the solar eclipse.
• As the moon covers the sun – by up to 96 per cent in parts of Britain – it will suddenly get cooler.
• Temperatures usually fall about 1°C to 3°C during a partial solar eclipse and around 5°C during a total solar eclipse.

The wind will change direction

• The ‘eclipse wind’ is a change in wind direction as the moon temporarily blocks out the sun.
• In 2015, scientists from the University of Reading set up roadside weather sensors during a partial solar eclipse.
• They found that the wind changes direction thanks to changes to the ‘boundary layer’ – the area of air that usually separates high-level winds from those at the ground.

Tides reach their peak

• While eclipses themselves don’t cause strong tides, they always coincide with a new moon – meaning tides are at their peak.
• As a result, lifeguards are urging people not to swim in the sea during the event.

Microbes will shapeshift

• Researchers found that bacteria and fungi change shape during an eclipse, and noted ‘significant changes’ before and after the event.

If you didn’t manage to brave the queues for a pair of eclipse glasses, there’s no need to despair.

You can follow along with the whole event by tuning into our livestream, and you’ll even get a better view than anyone currently watching from the UK.

Live coverage provided by NASA will be coming live from the path of totality in Iceland and Spain, so expect slightly different timings from the UK.

The broadcast will launch at 18:15 BST, and the first glimpse of totality should come about 30 minutes later from NASA’s telescopes in Iceland.

However, viewers of the livestream won’t just get one chance to witness totality.

At 19:28 BST, shortly after maximum coverage in the UK, the space agency will broadcast footage of the totality from Spain.

NASA even has a specially modified WB–57 high–altitude jet in the air to chase the moon’s shadow with scientific equipment, extending totality up to three minutes.

Hundreds of people have brought a Dublin city centre street close to a standstill as they queue to buy glasses to view the eclipse.

The line outside the Designist shop in George’s Street snaked for hundreds of yards; some of those in the queue said they had been waiting for up to two hours.

Among those in the queue was Kim Olin, who said she did not mind having to wait.

She said:

Among those in the queue was Kim Olin, who said she did not mind having to wait.

Likewise, enthusiastic Dublin resident Bobby McQuillan said he had been waiting in the queue for more than an hour.

He said: ‘It will be worth it in the end. It is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and the forecast is that we will have a good view of it in Dublin.’

The exact timing of the eclipse will vary based on your location, but things should kick off shortly after 18:00 BST today.

Maximum coverage, reaching up to 96 per cent in some areas, will occur roughly an hour later.

Northern Scotland will get the first glimpse of the eclipse, starting in Glasgow at 18:08 BST, with more southern areas following after.

Here’s when to watch the eclipse in your area:

Edinburgh and Glasgow

• Eclipse starts: 18:08
• Maximum eclipse: 19:05
• End of eclipse: 20:06

Dublin

• Eclipse starts: 18:12
• Maximum eclipse: 19:10
• End of eclipse: 20:04

Manchester and Liverpool

• Eclipse starts: 18:13
• Maximum eclipse: 19:10
• End of eclipse: 20:04

Birmingham

• Eclipse starts: 18:15
• Maximum eclipse: 19:11
• End of eclipse: 20:04

Bristol, London, and Cardiff

• Eclipse starts: 18:17
• Maximum eclipse: 19:12
• End of eclipse: 20:06

Truro

• Eclipse starts: 18:17
• Maximum eclipse: 19:12
• End of eclipse: 20:10

Experts have warned that pointing an unprotected phone camera at the sun for an extended period can cause damage.

Jez Samuel, mobiles expert at Uswitch.com, says: ‘Your phone screen is safe to look at throughout Wednesday’s eclipse – it’s the camera lens that needs protecting. Point an unfiltered lens at the sun, and you risk burning out the sensor, just as looking with the naked eye risks your vision.

‘A phone camera lens focuses sunlight into an intense point on the sensor behind it, and enough unfiltered exposure will kill pixels permanently.

‘From then on, every shot carries the same dark marks.’

He warned repairs typically range from around £49 for a camera glass replacement to over £250 for a full module swap, depending on the phone.

‘The fix is simple, as long as you don’t zoom in,’ he explained. ‘Hold your eclipse glasses in front of the camera lens.

‘Zooming concentrates sunlight the same way a telescope does, and that can burn straight through glasses never designed for it. For zoomed shots, use a dedicated clip-on solar filter instead.

‘If you’re planning to photograph or film Wednesday’s eclipse, it’s also worth making sure your phone has enough battery and storage, so you’re not caught out halfway through.’

Anyone driving during the eclipse is being told to take extra precautions and be prepared to turn on their headlights.

The RAC said the action might be necessary for vehicles which do not have automatic lights, to boost their visibility to other road users.

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.

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.’

Britons are being warned not to swim in the sea during tonight’s eclipse.

The warning from the RNLI’s Jersey lifeboat station said it will not be safe to swim off Britain’s coastline due to strong tides.

Solar eclipses always coincide with a new moon, meaning tides are at their strongest.

When the moon’s gravity pulls at Earth, water gets pushed and squeezed around on the globe, directed by both gravitational pull and other forces, until it ends up bulging outwards on the side closest to the Moon and the side farthest away. This is why high tide hits twice a day.

Tides are particularly dangerous during a new moon because the gravitational pull of both the moon and the sun align, meaning a stronger force known as a ‘spring tide’.

This is seen in higher tides as well as a greater difference between low and high tides than the rest of the month.

Higher tides make swimming in the ocean much more dangerous as they can cause stronger currents – although the strongest currents do not generally occur at high tide itself.