Total solar eclipse sweeps Iceland and Spain after 27 years

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Millions gathered in Iceland and northern Spain on Wednesday to witness Europe's first total solar eclipse in 27 years, as the Moon completely covered the Sun for up to 2 minutes and 18 seconds. The path of totality crossed Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, Spain and a small part of Portugal, according to NASA. A partial eclipse was visible across much of the Northern Hemisphere, including parts of the northern US, Canada and wider Europe. The US did not experience totality.

Spain deployed 25,000 police officers and nearly 100 planes and helicopters to manage up to 6 million expected visitors and prevent wildfires in heatwave-affected areas, The Hindu reports. Iceland, home to 400,000 people, expected up to 80,000 visitors, with eclipse glasses sold out for days. Skies over Iceland were overcast, with breaks predicted only in the northwest. The last total eclipse visible from central and western mainland Europe was on August 11, 1999.