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

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Updated: 12:18 EDT, 12 August 2026 Eclipse mania has gripped the nation, with Britons forming huge queues in a last-minute scramble for glasses to watch the best solar eclipse in a generation. Starting from shortly after 18:00 BST, the shadow of the moon will slowly slide across the sun until it covers up to 96 per cent of the surface.To make this all the more spectacular, clear skies are expected across most of the country. However, the UK is braced for pandemonium and a spate of traffic accidents as the solar eclipse distracts drivers across the country. If you miss tonight's spectacle, the next chance to see an eclipse this deep won't come to the UK until 2050, and you'll have to wait until 2090 for the next totality.Here's when the eclipse will begin in your areaEdinburgh and Glasgow: 18:08Dublin: 18:12Manchester and Liverpool: 18:13Birmingham: 18:15Bristol, London, and Cardiff: 18:17Truro: 18:17Follow live updates below Watching the eclipse tonight? Share your pictures with us!If you're watching the eclipse tonight and have managed to snap a picture of the crowds or the eclipse, then we'd love to see it!You can send in your pictures to mailonlinepictures@dailymail.co.ukWhile millions are getting ready to see the best eclipse since 1999, many eager astronomers face missing out due to a shortage of eclipse glasses.Around the country, massive queues have formed outside corner shops, toy stores, and museums in a last-ditch rush to get the glasses in time.Hundreds of people were seen lining up this morning outside Royal Museum Greenwich, one of the few locations where the protective eclipse viewers could still be bought.However, the museum and observatory have now had to post a sign outside warning would-be sungazers that they are completely sold out. Dozens of videos shared on TikTok show shoppers forming lengthy lines outside corner shops in London, with some stretching for hundreds of metres.The clips show crowds patiently waiting for up to three hours to purchase the glasses, which are essential to be able to safely watch the ‘best-in-a-lifetime’ event.In one video, a car pulls up to a shop in Whitechapel, allegedly delivering an extra 10,000 pairs of glasses that had just landed at Heathrow.Everything you need to know about tonight's partial solar eclipseTonight, 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.When will the solar eclipse start?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. The weirdest things that will happen during tonight's solar eclipseAside 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 strangelyAnimals 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 accidentsDuring 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 coolerTemperatures 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 directionThe '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 peakWhile 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 shapeshiftResearchers found that bacteria and fungi change shape during an eclipse, and noted 'significant changes' before and after the event.How to watch the eclipse if you don't have eclipse glassesIf 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 queue in Dublin street to buy glasses to watch rare eclipseHundreds 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: 'I want to get a pair of glasses to look at the eclipse. The next one won’t be until 2090, and I won’t be alive by then, so this is my last chance.'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.'When is the best time to see the eclipse in the UK?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 GlasgowEclipse starts: 18:08Maximum eclipse: 19:05End of eclipse: 20:06DublinEclipse starts: 18:12Maximum eclipse: 19:10End of eclipse: 20:04Manchester and LiverpoolEclipse starts: 18:13Maximum eclipse: 19:10End of eclipse: 20:04BirminghamEclipse starts: 18:15Maximum eclipse: 19:11End of eclipse: 20:04Bristol, London, and CardiffEclipse starts: 18:17Maximum eclipse: 19:12End of eclipse: 20:06TruroEclipse starts: 18:17Maximum eclipse: 19:12End of eclipse: 20:10Filming the eclipse could damage your phoneExperts 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.’Drivers are told to turn their headlights on during the solar eclipseAnyone 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.'Don't swim in the sea during the eclipse, RNLI warnsBritons 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.Welcome to the Solar Eclipse Live BlogHello, and welcome to the Daily Mail's solar eclipse live blog! We'll be bringing you all the updates and keeping you informed with everything you need to know during tonight's spectacular event.First contact in the UK isn't expected to start until just after 18:00 BST, so keep reading to find out the best times and locations to see the eclipse where you are. 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