Solar eclipse to be visible from 6pm this evening

Later this evening (Wednesday August 12), people across Ireland will have the chance to witness a solar eclipse for the first time since 1999.

The moon will partially cover the sun, with different locations across the country seeing varying levels of the sun obscured.

Those viewing in Dublin will see 93 per cent of the sun covered; in Kerry, around 97 per cent of the sun will be covered. A total eclipse will only be visible in Iceland, northern Spain and the Balearic Islands.

The eclipse will only be visible from 6 pm to 8 pm, with its peak across Ireland being from 7 pm to 7.45 pm.

For those who wish to see the eclipse, they are being urged to never look directly at the sun, even through sunglasses, and only view it through specific glasses and/or other safe methods.

In the UK, the RAC is urging all road users to make sure to turn on their car's headlights, if they do not do so automatically, to boost their visibility to other road users.