Shafaqna English- Millions gathered across Iceland and northern Spain on Wednesday(12 Aug 2026) to witness the first total solar eclipse visible in Europe for 27 years. However, Spanish officials urged people to steer clear of areas where a heatwave had heightened wildfire risks.
Spain’s Secretary of State for Science, Juan Cruz, stated that official forecasts estimated up to 6 million visitors would travel to the mostly rural zones lying within the eclipse’s path, which covered the northern Spanish provinces and the Balearic Islands, with authorities taking special measures to manage traffic, public safety, and emergency response in the face of both the massive crowds and the elevated wildfire risk.
Source: Reuters