A total solar eclipse sweeps over Reykjavik on Aug 12. Will Iceland's clouds blot out totality in the capital?
60% of users predicted NO — the community missed this one. 25 predictions cast.
A total solar eclipse swept over western Iceland on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, plunging Reykjavik into darkness for the first time since 1433, but heavy cloud cover and rain obscured the visible moment of totality in the capital. Totality reached Keflavik, about 30 miles southwest of Reykjavik, at 5:47 p.m. GMT, and lasted just over a minute in central Reykjavik, compared with about 2 minutes 13 seconds at Latrabjarg on Iceland's westernmost cliffs, where skies were clearer.
The eclipse was the first visible from central and western Europe since 1999, with its path also crossing Greenland and northern Spain. Forecasters had predicted rain and heavy cloud over Reykjavik and the Snaefellsnes region in the days before the event, while the Westfjords remained drier but still overcast.
The community's "yes" probability of 40% did not match the actual outcome: clouds did blot out visible totality in Reykjavik, despite only a minority of forecasters expecting that result.