The service will include a general forecast for Spain, with special attention to possible adverse weather phenomena, maximum temperatures, and the fire danger index. The information will be available on the homepage of the AEMET website, on its official profiles, and through the media.
The forecast will begin five days in advance
AEMET considers that, starting five days before the eclipse, weather models allow for a forecast of cloudiness with greater guarantees. This will be one of the most relevant data, as it will determine from which places the obscuration of the Sun can be seen most clearly.
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The forecast can also be followed through an interactive cloudiness viewer incorporated into the official website of the Eclipse Trio, created by the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities.
The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Universities, Juan Cruz Cigudosa, has stated in an interview with Europa Press that “statistically it is a day for there to be no clouds”, although he has warned that the most reliable forecast will not be available until a few hours before or during the eve.
The eclipse will be felt even if it is cloudy
The presence of clouds would prevent a clear observation of the solar disk and the corona during the totality phase. However, it would not prevent the darkening caused by the eclipse.
“When there are clouds, it also gets dark,” Cigudosa explained. The sudden drop in brightness will also be perceived, even if the astronomical phenomenon cannot be clearly observed.
AEMET will also disseminate information about active weather warnings and will provide support to Civil Protection and the autonomous communities. Authorities expect a high influx of visitors to natural spaces and areas with good visibility of the horizon, which raises the importance of knowing the risk of heat and fires.
The first total eclipse in over a century
The eclipse on Wednesday, August 12, will be the first visible as total from the Iberian Peninsula in over a hundred years. The path of totality will cross Spain from west to east during sunset, from Galicia to the Balearic Islands, and will pass through cities such as Oviedo, León, Bilbao, Burgos, Soria, Zaragoza, València, and Palma.
In the northern half of the peninsula, it will be observed as total, while in much of the south it will be partial. The Sun will be very close to the horizon, so the National Geographic Institute recommends looking for a place with clear visibility to the west.