Wednesday evening offers skywatchers a double celestial spectacle, with a partial solar eclipse giving way to the annual Perseid meteor shower.

The partial solar eclipse commences at 6:16pm when the Moon slides between Earth and the Sun, casting its shadow across portions of the globe.

South Wales sits just beyond the corridor of totality where certain nations witness complete solar coverage.

The region will experience 93.2 percent of the solar disc being obscured, compared to 90.7 percent in Edinburgh, 91.4 percent in London, and 93.1 percent in Belfast.

At 6:16pm, the Moon’s silhouette begins crossing the Sun’s edge in what specialists term first contact.

Peak obscuration, the moment when the greatest proportion of the solar disc becomes concealed, takes place at 7:13pm, leaving a substantial portion of the Sun hidden from observation.

The eclipse concludes at 8:07pm as the Moon departs from its position between Earth and the Sun.

Observing the eclipse safely requires specialist solar viewing glasses certified for direct solar observation.

Standard binoculars or telescopes must not be used under any circumstances, as the magnified solar glare will inflict severe and permanent damage to eyesight.

Following the eclipse, attention turns skyward as the Perseid meteor shower reaches its night of peak activity.

This annual event occurs when Earth traverses the trail of debris left behind by Comet 109/Swift Tuttle.

From approximately 11pm onwards, particles roughly the size of sand grains will collide with the upper atmosphere at velocities around 37 miles per second, igniting briefly as they disintegrate and creating the characteristic streaks known as shooting stars.

Forecasts suggest between 80 and 100 meteors could be visible each hour.

The optimal viewing direction lies towards the north-easterly portion of the sky.