Welcome to the greatest show off earth
Jakub Krupa
Got your eclipse glasses at the ready?
Do not fret if not. Not everyone is prepared like this guy.
We’ve got you covered.
Welcome to the live coverage of today’s total eclipse, which will be seen in parts of Europe, including Iceland, the UK, and Spain.
Over the coming hours, we’ll bring you:
Tips on how to view the phenomenon safely
First-hand reports from places where crowds are gathering
A quick look at the science behind the shadow
The best pictures and videos from key viewing spots
And yes, there will be a live stream, too.
It’s Wednesday, 12 August 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good afternoon.
Key events
What it looked like in 1999? – in pictures
1999: Beyond the clouds, a spectacle that put everything else in the shade
The last significant partial eclipse was reported in the UK in 1999.
Here is how we covered it at the time at the Guardian:
“Britain was brought to a standstill for almost an hour yesterday as millions of people left their homes, offices and factories to watch the last eclipse of the millennium.
The rush to watch the skies in the West Country and across the country resulted in the biggest power surge ever recorded on the National Grid and is estimated to have cost the country £500m in lost business.
More than a million people gathered in Cornwall and Devon for the once-in-a-lifetime event, with a last minute dash to the West Country by an estimated 60,000, bringing the total number of visitors to Cornwall to 270,000, double the normal number for August.”
For many, though, it was down to the luck of the meteorological draw whether they actually succeeded in glimpsing the eclipse through the thick cloud covering the counties.
For many, umbrellas rather than solar eclipse viewers were needed when, an hour before the eclipse, a torrential rainstorm lashed west Cornwall and heavy cloud completely blocked the view.
While the Scillies enjoyed 106 seconds of totality under clear skies, the thousands gathered in Penzance, Marazion and Falmouth found cloud and rain blotted out their view.
Within an hour of the eclipse, more than 100 people called a helpline at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, complaining of problems after watching the solar spectacular.
Many hospitals cancelled eye operations to make way for emergencies and will remain on 24-hour standby until the weekend for worried eclipse watchers who fear they have damaged their vision.”
Jakub Krupa
It’s nice of Bónus bosses to offer their employees a chance to go out and experience the eclipse.
For all we know, there isn’t usually that much interest in supermarket shopping during the phenomenon – with Waitrose chief even complaining about it in 1999, the last time we had a solar eclipse in the UK…
People flock to watch eclipse in Iceland but weather concerns dampen spirits
Miranda Bryant
Nordic correspondent
In Iceland, people have flocked by air, land and sea to watch the total solar eclipse – the country’s first in 72 years.
But the forecast is not looking promising, with low clouds expected to cover much of the country.
The eclipse will start in Iceland at about 4.45pm local time (5.45pm UK) and end at about 6.50pm (7.50pm UK).
The total eclipse will only be visible in western Iceland, with the longest in Látrabjarg in the Westfjords where it will last for 2 minutes and 13 seconds. A road in the area was closed overnight due to heavy traffic and people were not permitted to stay at the site, which is part of a nature reserve, overnight.
Record numbers of cruise ships are headed to the water around Iceland in the hope of witnessing the eclipse.
The Icelandic artist Björk is hosting a one-day festival to coincide with the eclipse at Hafnarfjörður near Reykjavík. The eclipse is featured in the set list at 5.48pm between DJ sets by Arca and Björk.
The boss of supermarket Bónuss has told store managers they can close for 15 minutes to allow employees to see the eclipse.
Where will the solar eclipse be visible in Europe?
Nicola Davis and Oliver Holmes
A wide band of north and central Spain, plus a sliver of Portugal and parts of Greenland and Iceland will experience a rare total eclipse.
The light of the setting sun will be virtually blocked out across much of western Europe, including the UK, France, Belgium, Switzerland and northern Italy.
This total eclipse will be the first in mainland Europe in two decades.
The last event of this kind visible from the UK occurred in 1999, when parts of Devon and Cornwall were in the path of totality.
The next total solar eclipse visible in the UK is not due to occur until 2090.
‘It’s going to be spectacular’: Millions flock to Spain seeking best view of total solar eclipse
Ashifa Kassam
The online forums are abuzz as people debate potential cloud cover and trade tips on the best viewing points. Hours before wide swathes of Spain were set to experience the country’s first total solar eclipse in more than a century, the excitement was palpable.
“It’s going to be spectacular,” said César González, an astronomer and science communicator at the Madrid Planetarium. “A total solar eclipse is one of the best spectacles in nature.”
Officials have estimated that as many as 6 million people could flock to the eclipse path on Wednesday, which stretches about 200km from A Coruña in Spain’s northwest to the Mediterranean island of Mallorca. A small strip of Portugal and parts of Greenland and Iceland will also experience the rare total eclipse.
Tens of millions more will be watching across western Europe, with the path of the eclipse virtually blocking out the sun in many countries including the UK, France, Belgium, Switzerland and northern Italy.
Welcome to the greatest show off earth
Jakub Krupa
Got your eclipse glasses at the ready?
Do not fret if not. Not everyone is prepared like this guy.
We’ve got you covered.
Welcome to the live coverage of today’s total eclipse, which will be seen in parts of Europe, including Iceland, the UK, and Spain.
Over the coming hours, we’ll bring you:
Tips on how to view the phenomenon safely
First-hand reports from places where crowds are gathering
A quick look at the science behind the shadow
The best pictures and videos from key viewing spots
And yes, there will be a live stream, too.
It’s Wednesday, 12 August 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good afternoon.
