Hundreds of shoppers have queued for hours after skygazers were met with empty shelves as they rushed to buy protective eyewear in time for tomorrow's solar eclipse.

Several high street stores sold out while online customers were told they may not receive the glasses until the end of the week.

It comes as experts warn sky watchers could go blind if they watch the stunning display without protection. 

Up to 96 per cent of the sun is set to be obscured during the eclipse - which will begin shortly after 6pm - as the moon drifts in front of it.

Another eclipse as deep will not be visible from the UK until 2050.

And astronomers wanting to see a total eclipse again from Britain will need to wait until September 23, 2090.

Sky watchers have now been scrambling to get hold of a pair of solar eclipse glasses after several retailers listed the product as 'out of stock'.

It follows a warning from the Royal College of Opthalmologists after around 70 cases of vision problems were reported following the 1999 total solar eclipse.

A long line of customers formed for protective glasses in Exeter this afternoon - with some reportedly travelling from as far as London for a pair.

The shop in Marsh Barton had advertised the equipment for those struggling to find a pair in the run-up to the event.

Photographs show the FLO warehouse on Budlake Road experiencing a surge of traffic in the afternoon, with cars waiting in line for a chance to grab the eyewear.

Long queues also took over the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London, with the Royal Observatory next door also running a sell-out eclipse event tomorrow.

One customer said on X: 'Long queues for eclipse glasses at the National Maritime Museum here in Greenwich. There’s only 100 sets available. Don’t think I’ll be getting any.

Hundreds of people also reportedly queued from 7am outside the Free Spirit Psychic Shop in Wrexham, Wales, despite the shop not opening until 10am.

Visitors of the store, which had stocked 700 pairs over the last week and a half, described the queue as 'massive' and 'absolutely bonkers', the North Wales Chronicle reports.

Cars also reportedly piled up at Poppin's Cozy Coffee Room in Leysdown, Kent, as customers tried to get glasses from 6.30am.

However, all 95 pairs sold out by 7.05am.

Mohamed Elalfy, a consultant ophthalmologist and president at the Royal College of Opthalmologists, said the safest way to enjoy the eclipse was to watch it 'indirectly'.

He added: 'Looking directly at the Sun during a solar eclipse can cause damage to the retina, potentially damaging the cells responsible for sharp central vision.

'Crucially, the retina has no pain receptors, so people will not feel the damage as it happens.'

But one person said on X: 'Has anyone seen any shops selling solar eclipse glasses? Archie's wanting them and Amazon have none for delivery until Friday.'

Another added: 'Incredibly short notice but has anyone got any spare solar eclipse glasses? Ideally a pair or three but any would do?' 

A third person commented: 'There's no sun in the UK.'

The Royal Observatory Greenwich said it was aware of a shortage of glasses.

A spokesman added: 'We have sold out of solar eclipse glasses, both online and in our shops, due to an unprecedented volume of orders.'

British retailer Robert Dyas had been offering Bresser eclipse glasses for £2.99 but there was an 'out of stock' message on its website.

Neil Sanders, founder of Go Stargazing and the UK coordinator of Astronomers Without Borders said there was no shortage - rather, people had not planned ahead.

He told The Guardian: 'I'm getting loads of calls, text messages, emails with people asking 'Do you have some glasses?'. Everyone's suddenly realising we need glasses for Wednesday.'

Another distributor said: 'We have good stocks, our issue is everybody has left it until the last minute to order and we only have so many people we can put into packing at a time.'

Kyla black, Boots Opticians director of optical practice has advised parents to be 'particularly careful' letting their children view the eclipse.

She told LBC: 'If you're purchasing specially made eclipse glasses, make sure to double check that they are undamaged before use as even a glimpse of damage could have an impact on your eyesight.

'It's a common myth that wearing multiple pairs of sunglasses can protect you from any harmful UV light - this is untrue and should be avoided at all costs as only purpose-built eclipse glasses can allow you to watch an eclipse.' 

The solar eclipse will begin shortly after 6pm, but the exact timing will vary based on location.

Maximum coverage will occur roughly an hour later, plunging the UK into premature twilight, before the eclipse comes to an end just after 8pm.

First contact - the moment the moon's shadow will first appear on the sun - will kick off at 18:06 in Glasgow and Edinburgh, 18:13 in Manchester and Liverpool, 18:15 in Birmingham, 18:17 in London, Bristol and Cardiff, and finally at 18:18 in Cornwall.

Viewers, taking the appropriate safety precautions, will see a small 'bite' disappear from the sun's right-hand corner before slowly spreading to cover most of the disc.

At the point of greatest coverage, observers will see only a tiny inverted crescent of fire hanging in the sky.

Dr Megan Argo, an astrophysicist from the University of Lancaster, told the Daily Mail: 'From the UK we'll see a deep partial eclipse rather than a total eclipse, with just over 90 per cent of the Sun covered in many locations.

'Even though the sky won't go completely dark, it's still an unusual and memorable sight, and it's set to be one of the best partial eclipses visible from the UK for many years.'

Exactly how much of the sun vanishes will depend on location within the UK, with areas towards the Southwest seeing a deeper eclipse.

The best place in the UK to see the eclipse will be Bishop Rock in the Isles of Scilly, where 96.5 per cent of the sun will be obscured.

Meanwhile, viewers in Land's End and Lizard Point on the mainland will see over 95 per cent of the sun obscured.

That drops to just over 90 per cent for viewers up in Inverness, while London, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh will all see roughly 91 per cent.

However, even in the very far north of the Shetland Isles, the eclipse will still be deep enough for 88 per cent of the sun to vanish from view.

The eclipse can also be viewed indirectly using any household item with small round holes, such as a colander or small piece of paper, to project an image of it on to a flat surface. 

Octopus Energy, the UK's biggest energy supplier has encouraged customers to use less electricity during tomorrow's phenomenon - because solar generation will plummet.

The company urged its 8million customers not to use washing machines, ovens, dishwashers and other plug-in devices between 6pm and 8pm.

It warned customers the eclipse will 'briefly knock out a chunk of Britain's solar power' and possibly require more fossil fuel power generation.

The National Energy System Operator (Neso), which runs the UK grid, said the eclipse could cut solar supply by up to 1.3 gigawatts tomorrow - enough to power at least 500,000 homes.

Extra gas power stations may therefore have to be fired up, but Octopus said this need will be reduced if enough households delay using electricity for a short time.

The firm said it would monitor those who use less electricity than usual during that two-hour window and give them one hour of free daytime electricity this Sunday at a time to be confirmed.

Bosses said solar power generated a record 14.4 per cent of Britain's electricity last month, meaning two hours without sunshine will 'leave a gap that has to be filled'.

Spectators have been advised to ensure their eclipse glasses are legitimate and they have the safety certification 'ISO 12312-2' or 'ISO 12312-2:2015' printed somewhere and that they carry the CE or UKCA mark.