Great Britain braced to pay millions for backup electricity during solar eclipse

Event expected to hit solar power just as fifth heatwave of summer increases use of air conditioning and fans

Great Britain is braced to pay millions for backup electricity supplies to prevent a shortfall on Wednesday evening as the near-total solar eclipse is expected to wipe out solar power generation.

The government’s electricity grid operator is expected to make multimillion-pound payments to secure electricity at short notice before the moon blocks up to 95% of the sun over parts of the country, the most dramatic solar eclipse visible in Great Britain since 1999.