What happens when millions of Brits stop at once to watch the eclipse?
Tonight, millions of people across the UK are expected to stop what they're doing to watch one of the most impressive solar eclipses visible from Britain in 30 years.
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In some parts of the British Isles, astronomers predict the moon will obscure up to 95% of the sun. It will be a remarkable sight, and one that many of us may never see again, as the next is in 2090.
The historic nature of tonight’s solar eclipse doesn’t end there. It will change human behaviour too – and how we at the National Energy System Operator (NESO) keep the country powered.
Back in August 1999, for just 15 minutes, electricity demand plummeted by nearly 2.3 gigawatts – roughly equivalent to the power consumed by the cities of Birmingham and Manchester combined.
It then shot back up by a massive 3GW in a matter of minutes, representing the largest rapid increase in demand the British electricity network had ever recorded.
Although not........
