Solar Eclipse 2026: When and How to Watch the UK’s Biggest Since 1999

And no wonder. On Wednesday evening, the biggest eclipse visible from the UK since 1999 will sweep across the country, with more than 90 per cent of the Sun obscured for most of Britain. Miss it, and you will be waiting a long time for anything comparable — it has been billed as the best the UK will see for the next 54 years.

When to see the solar eclipse where you are

The eclipse will begin at around 6pm across the UK, reaching its peak roughly an hour later before ending just after 8pm in most places. The peak moment will take just 15 minutes to sweep from the very north of Scotland down to Land’s End in Cornwall, meaning the Moon’s shadow will race over Britain at nearly 2,500 miles per hour.

The Isles of Scilly get the best of it, with more than 96 per cent of the Sun covered, while the rest of the country will see upwards of 90 per cent obscured. Parts of Spain, Greenland and Iceland will witness a total eclipse, but Wednesday’s partial event is still the most significant seen from the UK in 27 years. You can check when the eclipse peaks in your area using the Mirror’s postcode tool.

The weather looks set to cooperate, too. The latest Met Office forecast shows most of England and Wales enjoying clear skies on Wednesday evening, on a day when temperatures are likely to top 30C in large parts of the country.

How to watch safely if you can’t find glasses

Whatever you do, don’t stare at the Sun — and don’t assume sunglasses will save you. The Royal Astronomical Society warns they often do not give enough UV protection when looking directly at the Sun, and you could end up seriously damaging your eyesight.

If you can’t get hold of proper eclipse glasses, the society suggests making a pinhole projector. Push the tip of a ballpoint pen through the centre of a piece of card then, facing away from the Sun, hold the card in one hand and a blank piece of paper in the other, lining them up until a miniature image of the Sun appears on the paper.

Even easier: raid the kitchen. David Jones, consultant ophthalmologist at the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust, says a humble colander is his favourite way of witnessing an eclipse, as he explained to BBC News.

If you hold the colander to the Sun and you look away from the Sun, protecting your eyes, you can make not just one picture of the Sun but a hundred all at once.

So if you are one of the many who left it too late to buy glasses, don’t despair — a piece of card or a kitchen colander will do the job. For a full rundown of timings and viewing tips, check out our guide on when and how to see the UK’s best solar eclipse — and here’s hoping the Met Office is right about those clear skies.