Scientists issue major warning ahead of the solar eclipse which could prove deadly

Tonight's the night!

A total eclipse takes place every 18 months or so and this evening (8 April) the astronomical phenomenon will be visible in the skies.

However, scientists have since issued a major warning ahead of the solar eclipse which could prove deadly for some.

Scientists have issued a major warning ahead of the solar eclipse which could prove deadly for some. john finney photography / Getty Images

The total solar eclipse is set to cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States and Canada.

It will begin over the South Pacific Ocean and will be passing through 13 states.

What is a solar eclipse?

For some context, a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, blocking some or all of the Sun's rays from reaching the Earth.

It requires the Sun, the Moon and the Earth to be in just the right alignment for the Moon to cast a shadow on our planet.

And, when this happens, the Moon can cast two types of shadows; a partial solar eclipse, which covers only part of the Sun and the more dramatic total solar eclipse.

A total eclipse takes place every 18 months or so. Dalton Hamm / Getty Images

What will we be able to see in the UK?

Now, while it may be less dramatic across the pond, in the UK a partial eclipse will be visible in some parts of the country - where a little bit of the Sun is covered, and a small percentage is blocked out by the Moon.

Around six percent of the Sun will be obscured in Edinburgh, 12 percent in Glasgow, 28.1 percent in Belfast, and 3.1 percent in Liverpool.

Good news if you hail from Cardiff and Manchester as these two hotspots are among the British cities likely to have the best potential views, along with County Donegal in Ireland.

What should we be wary of?

Now, while it's all very exciting, there are some safety measures we should all be taking when it comes to viewing rare cosmic event - and i'm not just talking specially-designed solar eclipse glasses.

While it's definitely a good shout to protect your peepers, people should also be mindful of some pretty major traffic.

Aixa Diaz, a spokesperson for the American Automobile Association, warned USA Today readers: "Pack your patience, whether traveling a great distance or locally, people will be out and about to catch a glimpse of the eclipse."

It's clear the solar eclipse traffic jams aren't anything new as, back in 2017, some areas were reportedly hit with 13 hours worth of congestion.

So, with the roads being busier than usual today, motorists have also been warned of a potential increase in fatal car accidents due to the increased amount of cars on the roads in the run up to the astronomical phenomenon.

The findings come as part of a new study that was published last month.

People have been warned over a 'significant increase in traffic risk' during eclipses. Robert Landau / Getty Images

Donald Redelmeier, lead investigator of the study and a senior scientist in the Tory Trauma Research Program at Sunnybrook Research Institute said: "We found a significant increase in traffic risk in the US around the time of the total eclipse, averaging to one extra vehicle crash every 25 minutes and one extra crash fatality every 95 minutes.

"The total amounted to 46 extra deaths linked to the eclipse."

Redelmeier continued: "The findings likely derive from increased traffic, travel on unfamiliar routes, speeding to arrive on time, driver distraction by a celestial event, drug-or-alcohol-impairment from related celebrations, or eclipse viewing from unsafe roadside locations."

Experts have advised people 'respect speed limits, minimise distractions, allow more headway, wear a seatbelt, and to never drive impaired'. Pitris / Getty Images

So, to help remedy this issue, John Staples, co-investigator on the study and a clinical associate professor in the department of medicine at the University of British Columbia, has recommended that people 'respect speed limits, minimise distractions, allow more headway, wear a seatbelt, and to never drive impaired'.

In the States, the total eclipse will begin at 1.40pm CDT in Texas before making its way through to to Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and finally Maine, ending at 3.34pm EDT there.

When is the best viewing time in the UK?

But, if you're hoping to catch the partial eclipse in the UK, the best viewing time will be between 7.52pm and 8.51pm, with it set to be visible in Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester.