Weathermen's cloudy predictions

Weather experts today predicted disappointment for thousands of East Lancashire people hoping for a glimpse of tomorrow's solar eclipse - but we've got a better chance of seeing it than the thousands of people heading for Cornwall.

Cloudy weather is predicted by the forecasters, casting a shadow over the chances of seeing the two-minute phenomenon due to occur just after 11am.

In fact they believe only the South East will enjoy fine, clear skies tomorrow - and that area is outside the total eclipse zone.

It is a major disappointment to the thousands of eclipse watchers who have been arriving in Devon and Cornwall today.

Places such as Penzance had been tipped as the best spots from which to view the eclipse, but the independent forecaster PA WeatherCentre believes clouds may obscure the view by there as much as 90 or 95 per cent.

East Lancashire has a 30 per cent chance of a clear view when the country is plunged into darkness for up to two minutes and six seconds in the first total solar eclipse in Britain for 72 years.

A Met Office spokesman explained: "East Lancashire can expect a dry morning, with broken, low cloud. With a ridge of high pressure covering the United Kingdom, many parts of the country will start the day dry but cloudy and the chances of viewing the eclipse from anywhere are low."

Readers' letters recall 1927...

YOU asked us to tell you what we will be doing on eclipse day. Having kept bees for 68 years, and in response to a request from our Beekeeper's Association, I shall hopefully, be observing the behaviour of my hive-bees as the sky darkens.

I shall be watching too, the bumble-bees as they forage from flower to flower, and we have some Evening Primroses in our garden and it will be interesting to see if they open when the sky darkens.

Normally, in the evening as the sun dips below the horizon, the big flower buds quickly unfurl into fully open flowers within about seven minutes. It will be interesting to see what the birds do, particularly the blue tits.

I know all bird sounds will cease as I saw the 1927 eclipse when I was six years old and I remembered it well enough to include it in my book, 'In Those Days.'

ALBERT J MORRIS, Clement View, Nelson.

WHAT am I doing on eclipse date? What I would love to do would be to retrace my steps on that morning of June 29, 1927.

I was only five years old at the time but I remember it quite well. I lived at the top of Castle Road, and along with my mother, father, grandmother and her brother, we walked across the fields on to the top of the 'Dear Old Rocks of Noyna' - the high ground above Foulridge.

We each had a piece of plate glass, smoked in a candle flame, to look through. There were many people there too and it was an awsome terrifying experience.

I clearly remember as the sun was blotted out all the birds and the animals in the fields were hushed

This time however, I am afraid I cannot make the climb to the top of Noyna Rocks. Instead I shall have to be satisfied by making my observations from home.

JOHN R LAWSON, Castle Road, Colne.

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