Solar eclipse 2015: rare celestial event ruined by British weather, in pictures and video

The sun wasn’t really visible even when it returned, for many people

Britons spring out of their beds this morning, to view the best solar eclipse in Britain for 16 years. And, hours later, most wished they’d never bothered given for many people the spectacle wasn’t very spectacular at all.

For many, the cold front that headed over the country last night brought cloud and cold weather, meaning that the sun was hardly visible at all even when the moon wasn’t in front of it. While some managed to sneak some beautiful pictures from behind the cloud, for many the eclipse looked as Britain often does — grey, cold and slightly drizzly.

The reception was damp across the country. While the view was OK in Scotland, and parts of the midlands, many decreed that the eclipse was largely disappointing, ruined by the weather.

Hundreds of people took to Twitter to call it the worst eclipse ever. It was the most total since 1999, and Britons won't get another chance to see one of similar intensity until 2026.