A total solar eclipse will sweep across parts of Western Europe on Wednesday, but the spectacle will be at the mercy of the weather, with clouds threatening to block the view in some places.
The so-called path of totality — a narrow area where the moon will fully block the sun for a brief period — stretches from Greenland and western Iceland across the North Atlantic before reaching northern Spain and a small corner of Portugal, according to NASA. The eclipse will occur in the late afternoon and evening across these locations, with totality reaching Spain and Portugal shortly before sunset.
A much broader area of Europe will see a significant partial eclipse, with more than 80 percent of the sun obscured across parts of Britain, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy and the Balkans.
The eclipse comes as large swaths of Western Europe endure their fifth heat wave since May, with temperatures expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) or higher this week, particularly in Spain. AEMET, the county’s weather service warned the extreme heat combined with decreased humidity would bring a very high or extreme wildfire risk on Wednesday. The service urged people heading to the countryside or mountains to view the eclipse to take extra precautions to avoid sparking new fires.
Here’s what to know:
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Greenland: After crossing a sparsely populated part of northern Russia and the Arctic Ocean, the eclipse will reach eastern Greenland. The Danish Meteorological Institute, which provides official forecasts for Greenland, said evening skies were expected to be clear in the coastal community of Ittoqqortoormiit before becoming cloudier overnight. The area around Tasiilaq, farther south, is expected to be mostly bright and clear from afternoon into the night.
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Iceland: The path of totality next crosses western Iceland, including Reykjavik and the Westfjords in the northwest, but clouds could obscure the view. The Icelandic Meteorological Office is forecasting rain or showers across the country, with conditions becoming drier across the southwest by the afternoon, though clouds are expected to linger.
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Spain: Some of the best conditions are expected over Spain, particularly inland. The eclipse will cross parts of northern Spain around 8:30 p.m. local time. AEMET, Spain’s weather service, said mostly clear skies were expected across the country, though low clouds could develop in the northeast in the afternoon. The northwestern city of A Coruña currently looks likely to have some of the clearest skies around the time of totality. AEMET warned eclipse watchers to be very careful, given the extreme heat and the high risk of wildfires.
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Portugal: A small area of northeastern Portugal is expected to experience totality in the evening, with partly cloudy skies forecast. Much of the rest of the country will see a deep partial eclipse, with generally clear conditions expected away from northern and central coastal areas, where clouds could develop around the time of the eclipse, according to IPMA, the Portuguese weather service.
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Britain: A partial eclipse will be visible across Britain, with the greatest coverage occurring across southwest England. The Met Office, Britain’s weather service, said southern and eastern England, along with Wales, had the best viewing prospects, with largely clear skies expected through the evening.
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France: The country is also in line for a deep partial eclipse, with the sun expected to be obscured by between 90 percent in Lille, north of Paris, and 99.5 percent in Biarritz, in the southwest, according to Météo-France, the country’s weather service. Skies are expected to be mostly clear across France around the time of the eclipse; some clouds could develop from Brittany, in the northwest of the country, through Franche-Comté and into the Rhône Valley in the east, but that should not interfere with viewing.
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