Experts warned viewing the eclipse with the naked eye can cause lasting damage

Massive queues have formed across Britain as people scramble to secure solar eclipse glasses before tonight's historic celestial event.

Tonight's solar eclipse is the most significant to be visible from the UK in 27 years.

Stocks have been running critically low, with online suppliers largely exhausted and even the Royal Museums Greenwich, recommended by UK health officials as a trusted seller, confirming it had sold out.

The organisations had confirmed it had sold roughly 15,000 pairs over the past month, citing an "unprecedented volume" of orders.

Queues have been spotted at locations including Old Spitalfields Market, Bond Street, Wimbledon, Arsenal and Greenwich.

The scene outside the 24-hour Am2Pm shop on Whitechapel High Street in east London was particularly extraordinary, with a queue stretching hundreds of metres through surrounding streets.

One customer who endured the marathon wait shared their experience online: "Waited for 5.5hrs, made some new friends, watched some fights, saw a police chase. Overall 9/10 experience."

The shopkeeper resorted to passing handwritten notes down the length of the queue, informing customers that a limit of five pairs applied per person, with 10,000 more glasses en route and a further 5,000 expected at 11pm, delayed by hold-ups at Heathrow with each pair priced at £9.99.

In Cornwall, tourism business leader Peter Friend from Looe said his organisation had purchased 80 pairs to distribute to visitors, all of which were claimed "within 10 minutes", with a queue forming along the quay.

Many businesses in the area had ordered glasses that ultimately failed to arrive in time, he added.

In Exeter, a warehouse on Budlake Road in Marsh Barton drew such crowds on Tuesday afternoon that the rush reportedly caused traffic congestion in the surrounding area, with customers said to have travelled from as far away as London to secure a pair.

Online, the situation was equally dire, with pairs meeting safety specifications virtually impossible to find without prohibitive delivery charges or unachievable arrival times.

LATEST ON TONIGHT'S HISTORIC SOLAR ECLIPSE

Eye doctors have issued urgent warnings about the dangers of viewing the eclipse without proper protection.

Dr Mohamed Elalfy, consultant ophthalmologist and president of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, said: "The safest way to enjoy the eclipse is to observe it indirectly, such as by watching a live broadcast."

He cautioned that retinal damage can occur without the viewer feeling any pain, with symptoms such as blurred vision, blind spots and distorted sight potentially emerging hours afterwards.

Some sufferers recover over weeks or months, while others face lasting visual impairment.

After the 1999 total solar eclipse, the College documented approximately 70 cases of vision problems, with around 40 per cent of those affected having gazed at the sun for under a minute.

Safe glasses must carry the ISO 12312-2 international certification, the UK Health Security Agency has advised, and lenses should be free from scratches or damage.

Tonight's eclipse is due to commence at 6.17pm, with the moon reaching its maximum coverage of the sun at 7.12pm before the spectacle concludes at 8.06pm.

Devon, Cornwall and the westernmost reaches of Pembrokeshire will enjoy the most dramatic views, with between 94 per cent and 96 per cent of the sun blocked by the moon.

Plymouth is forecast to see 94.66 per cent coverage at 7.16pm, according to the Met Office.

Londoners can expect roughly 91.41 per cent of the sun to be obscured at 7.13pm, while Cardiff, Belfast, Birmingham and Edinburgh will all see coverage exceeding 90 per cent.

As an additional treat for stargazers, the annual Perseid meteor shower, caused by Earth passing through debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle, peaks overnight, just hours after the eclipse.