On 11 August 1999, a total solar eclipse crossed Cornwall and part of South Devon. At about 11.12 a.m. British Summer Time, the Moon completely covered the Sun along a narrow path across the South West. Elsewhere in Britain, the eclipse was partial.

It was the first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Britain since 29 June 1927. The next would not occur until 2090. That rarity turned an astronomical event lasting only a few minutes into a substantial planning exercise.

Cornwall was expected to receive large numbers of visitors when its roads and accommodation were already busy with the summer tourist season. Parliament discussed the possible effects as early as November 1998. Accommodation filled, viewing sites were organised and local authorities prepared for additional traffic and demands on emergency services.

The eclipse itself was easier to predict than how many people would arrive. Astronomers knew the route of the Moon’s shadow and could calculate when totality would begin at different locations. In Cornwall, totality would last for about two minutes.

The weather was less predictable.

Forecasts before 11 August warned that cloud threatened the view from the part of Britain where the eclipse would be total. Much of Cornwall was under cloud or rain as the Moon moved across the Sun. Many people gathered in the path of totality therefore saw little or nothing of the eclipsed Sun itself.

They still experienced the eclipse. Daylight fell rapidly during totality, and scientific instruments at Camborne recorded changes in temperature and wind despite the cloud. Outside the path of totality, large partial eclipses were visible across the rest of the country, with some areas having better weather than Cornwall.

The path of totality continued eastwards across Europe and Asia. Mainland Britain would have to wait 91 years for the next one.