Eclipse will happen in rush hour this Friday

Motorists have been urged not to take their eyes off the road during the eclipse that id due during rush hour this friday as it could cause an accident.

Around the UK the proportion of the Sun covered by the Moon during the near-total solar eclipse will increase towards the North, ranging from 84 per cent in London to 89 per cent in Manchester, 93 per cent in Edinburgh, and 97 per cent in Lerwick in the Shetland Isles.

Times will also vary. In London, the eclipse begins at 8.24am, reaches its maximum extent at 9.31am, and ends at 10.41am. For observers in Edinburgh, the eclipse starts at 8.30am and peaks at 9.35 am. The last solar eclipse of such significance occurred on August 11 1999, and was “total” – with 100 per cent of the Sun covered – when seen from Cornwall.

A Highways Agency spokesperson said: “Safety is a top priority. As always, we advise road users to drive carefully, adjusting their driving according to weather and road conditions and during the eclipse we’d ask them to do the same.”

Only the Faroe Islands and the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard will see a total eclipse.