THE UK will experience a spectacular solar eclipse tonight – the first of its kind since 1999.
If you’re headed to the coast today, you might want to stick around as some of the country’s beaches will have the best views – just don’t forget your glasses.
The UK will see a solar eclipse tonight – the first of its kind since 1999 Credit: Getty
The best beaches in the UK to see it include Rhossili Bay in South Wales Credit: Alamy
Tonight, the UK will experience a partial solar eclipse – and the best places to see the eclipse today are in the west and southwest of the country.
In parts of Devon and Cornwall, the eclipse will cover around 95 per cent of the sun.
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If you happen to be there on holiday anyway, head to a west-facing beach to get the full effect – you’ll also get a fabulous sunset over the water too.
Some beaches you might want to bag a spot at in Cornwall include Watergate Bay, Perranporth, Gwynver Beach, Fistral Beach or Sennen Cove.
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If you head to Land’s End, there are set to be have incredible views there as well.
In Devon, beaches like Saunton, Woolacombe and Westward Ho will have clear views, or try out Slapton Sands and Thurlestone.
Along the Jurassic Coast top spots include Chesil Beach which is the longest beach in the UK.
Durdle Door is also recommended, although the cliffs above it is where you’ll get the best view – and it’s likely to be busy.
If you want an unobstructed view and are prepared to put in a little hard work, hike up to Golden Cap cliffs between Bridport and Charmouth.
Wales is an ideal spot to watch the eclipse too, in Cardiff, the moon will cover 93.2 per cent of the sun.
The west and southwest parts of the UK are the best places to see the solar eclipse Credit: Getty
With some of the best views being in South Wales, bag a spot on the sands on Rhossili Bay, Three Cliffs Bay and Barafundle Bay.
Further north, the unspoilt coast on the Llŷn Peninsula will have clear skies as will spots in Pembrokeshire like Strumble Head and St Davids.
In Scotland, Machrihanish Bay is likely to have great views as it has low dunes with views across the Atlantic.
In fact, those on the Western Isles of Scotland along the west coast will see between 92 per cent to 94 per cent of the sun obscured.
Any of the beaches around places like Arisaig, Morar and Mallaig will have views of the eclipse – as long as there aren’t clouds in the sky.
In the North of England, Crosby Beach in Sefton is expected to be a busy spot.
Beaches in the west of Scotland like Machrihanish Bay are good viewing points Credit: Alamy
Sennen Cove will have clear views of the event Credit: Alamy
Further up the coastline, St Bees has around a mile-long sweep of red sand that faces west looking over the Irish Sea and the Isle of Man.
If you don’t happen to be that side of the UK – try to find a beach that has unobscured views to the west.
You cannot look directly at the eclipse without risking eye damage so make sure to look through specially made glasses.
If you didn’t manage to get a pair, here are seven ways to safely watch the solar eclipse without glasses.
Here are the exact times the eclipse will be most visible in your area and how long it’ll last.
And here are some tips on how to take great photos of the eclipse without damaging your phone, camera or eyes.
