Desperate Britons have queued for hours through the night in a bid to get their hands on solar eclipse glasses.
Dozens of videos shared on TikTok show shoppers forming lengthy lines outside corner shops in London, with some stretching for hundreds of metres.
The clips show crowds patiently waiting for more than three hours to purchase the glasses, which are essential to be able to safely watch the astronomical event.
In one video a car pulls up to a shop in Whitechapel, allegedly delivering an extra 10,000 pairs of glasses that had just landed in Heathrow.
Some shoppers were limited to buying a maximum of five pairs, with each priced at £9.99.
Eclipse glasses are specially designed to filter out almost all of the sun’s intense visible, ultraviolet and infrared light.
Ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking directly at the sun during an eclipse.
In recent days experts have warned that staring at the sun without proper protection can cause serious and permanent damage to the eyes – triggering the last-minute dash to try and get a hold of proper eclipse glasses.
Dozens of videos shared on TikTok show shoppers forming lengthy lines outside corner shops in London, with some stretching for hundreds of metres
The clips show crowds patiently waiting for more than three hours to purchase the glasses, which are essential to be able to safely watch the astronomical event
The eclipse is expected to draw thousands of people outside as Britons look skywards for a glimpse of the moon passing across the sun this evening.
For many, however, securing a pair of glasses has become a race against time.
One video, titled ‘Midnight queue for solar eclipse glasses’, shows a queue that snakes around a corner in east London.
The winding line of ‘at least 600 people’ includes children, someone holding a suitcase, cyclists and people with takeaway food.
In another, a girl captions her video: ‘Funny date idea: Standing in the three-hour queue to buy the solar eclipse glasses.’
Someone else shared a video of themselves reading a book in the queue, joking: ‘Today’s side quest – secure last-minute solar eclipse glasses.’
In this clip a white car pulls up to the shop, with a caption reading: ‘10.20pm – the goods have started to arrive from Heathrow airport.’
The TikTok user then holds up a cardboard sign that has been passed down the line, which states shoppers can buy a maximum of five pairs, alongside the line: ‘Bags delayed from Heathrow but on way. 10,000 on way.’
One girl said queuing for eclipse glasses was a ‘funny date idea’ (left). The snaking line of people includes children, someone holding a suitcase, cyclists and people with takeaway food (right)
Someone on X advertised eclipse glasses for sale – for the staggering price of £400 per pair, with collection only
Experts recommend using specially made eclipse glasses bearing the ISO 12312–2 safety standard
Clips also show people cheering as they leave corner shops, waving their glasses in the air.
The rush has prompted comparisons with the scramble for toilet roll during the Covid pandemic, with some people joking that sellers will be ‘making $’ from the dash.
Lots of people have also taken to the social media forum Reddit to desperately ask for advice on where to buy a pair.
However, some have resigned themselves to trying to watch it some other way, with one adding: ‘The whole of the UK and their dog are trying to get glasses. You won’t get them anywhere.’
While some people might be tempted to use their glasses from the previous solar eclipse – which took place in 1999 – experts have warned against this.
These decades-old pieces of safety equipment may have degraded since the last eclipse, meaning they don’t offer any real protection.
Scientists warn that using these worn-out eclipse viewers will put your eyes at risk of permanent damage and vision loss.
If you are planning on viewing the eclipse, experts recommend using specially made eclipse glasses bearing the ISO 12312-2 safety standard.
Members of the public queue to purchase solar eclipse glasses at an outlet within Old Spitalfields Market in east London yesterday
Hundreds queue at Plassey Retail Park near Wrexham for sold-out solar eclipse viewing glasses
Dr Greg Brown, Astronomer at Royal Observatory Greenwich, told the Daily Mail: It is possible for the film on older solar eclipse glasses to degrade over time.
‘So it is recommended to only use eclipse glasses manufactured with the last decade.’
Although it might be tempting, experts stress that you must not look at the sun with your naked eyes at any point during the eclipse.
Mohamed Elalfy, a consultant ophthalmologist and president of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, said: ‘Crucially, the retina has no pain receptors, so people will not feel the damage as it happens.
‘Symptoms may only become apparent several hours later and can include blurred vision, a central blind or dark spot, distorted vision, reduced colour perception and increased sensitivity to light. While some people recover over weeks or months, others can be left with permanent visual impairment.’
