UK sports schedule adjusted as solar eclipse approaches on Wednesday

The British Horseracing Authority has brought forward the start of the horse racing meeting at Ffos Las in South Wales on Wednesday because of a solar eclipse, and organisers at other fixtures have planned to use floodlights during matches.

The UK and parts of Europe are expected to witness the most significant solar eclipse in nearly three decades, with the event set to begin shortly after 18:00 BST on Wednesday. It is described as the most dramatic eclipse visible from the UK since 1999 and the first time a total eclipse can be seen from continental Europe since then too. Horse races are often run under floodlights at Kempton.

At Ffos Las the first race had been scheduled for 17:40 BST but the British Horseracing Authority has rescheduled that race to 15:35, moving the meeting to begin about two hours earlier on Wednesday.

Officials at Kempton racecourse, which has races listed for 19:00 and 19:30, said there will be no disruption because all races were set to be under floodlights. The presence of floodlit racing at Kempton is cited as the reason organisers do not expect interference from the reduced daylight.

Across other sports, organisers have confirmed that floodlights will be used during events taking place on Wednesday, including four Hundred cricket matches. The decision to keep lighting on throughout those fixtures has been made to cope with the eclipse period.

During the solar eclipse in August 1999, a League Cup match between Torquay United and Portsmouth at Plainmoor stadium was postponed after Devon and Cornwall Police forced the delay. The police action was taken because an influx of tourists travelling to the English coast left local authorities under-staffed to safely manage stadium crowds; the match was played six days later.

The solar eclipse is set to begin shortly after 18:00 BST on Wednesday.