ECLIPSE mania is building in Cornwall ahead of a relatively rare appearance of the phenomenon where the moon and sun pass each other, leading to a momentary lapse in the evening light.

It won’t be a total Eclipse in Cornwall, but we are set to see enough of it to provide delight for all those who have managed to get hold of a pair of sunglasses.

The last time a major eclipse of this nature occurred was on August 11, 1999 and it was safe to say with what would be the last Eclipse of the Millennium, we all went into something of a mania.

Organised gatherings took place across the Duchy and there was even a two hour live show on Westcountry Television fronted by Richard Bath – now known as ITV West Country.

The broadcaster took to the skies in a helicopter and found themselves semi-thwarted by cloud cover, although the worst of it had dissipated by the time we got to view the Eclipse in all its glory.

When will the Eclipse reach Cornwall?

The eclipse is set to reach Cornwall just after 7pm, with a predicted time of 7.16pm for the Eclipse to reach Penzance stated by forecasters at the BBC.

With different parts of the country set to see the Eclipse at its peak between 7.02pm and 7.16pm, it is advisable to be ready for the spectacle at 7pm to ensure you don’t miss a moment.

London and Cardiff are set to see the Eclipse peak at 7.13pm with Edinburgh at 7.05pm, Belfast at 7.08pm and Manchester at 7.10pm.

Eclipse weather forecast for Cornwall

Perhaps unsurprisingly – there’s no rain in the weather forecast.

The Met Office weather forecast for Cornwall suggests that the momentary darkness that the Eclipse will bring will be accompanied with clear skies and searingly warm temperatures.

The weather for Cornwall on Wednesday, August 12 indicates that the daytime temperatures may reach a high of 31 degrees Celsius, although by the time the Eclipse arrives at around 7pm, this should have dropped to 26 degrees.

There is less than a five percent chance of rain, and wind speeds will be fairly gentle.

Best places to view the Eclipse in Cornwall

With a clear sky promised, the places where it might be possible to view the Eclipse would form a very extensive list indeed.

The best places to visit in order to see the Eclipse are those that are out in the open – something we have an abundance of in Cornwall.

Such places include Kit Hill in Callington, Bodmin Beacon nature reserve in Bodmin, Bodmin Moor or any one of Cornwall’s many beaches such as Pentewan, Polzeath, Summerleaze in Bude or Readymoney Cove to name four of many.

You could go for a dramatic back drop - with Launceston Castle set to be among the popular chosen by people in the town.

However, for those gathering to watch it, it is important to bear in mind advice from the Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service who are urging people not to light fires in the open in the present hot, dry conditions which mean that a simple fire could go out of control quickly.