Solar eclipse 2017: Weather forecast for total solar eclipse in US
AMERICANS are counting down the days before a solar eclipse blocks out the sun across the US. But what is the weather forecast for eclipse day?
Heavy cloud could block out the view of the eclipse
America expected to see Total Solar Eclipse in 2017
A total solar eclipse will pass coast-to-coast across the United States for the first time in 99 years on Monday August 21.
Millions of Americans are expected to descend on its path of totality in the hope of catching the best views of the rare celestial event.
As the excitement continues to mount, thoughts are turning to the one thing that could spoil the party - the weather.
The eclipse starts at Lincoln Beach in Oregon at 9.05am PDT, before working its way across the mainland, finishing near Charleston, South Carolina at 2.48pm EDT.
Here are the latest weather reports.
Weather forecast for solar eclipse day
Early weather forecasts are predicting clear skies across Kentucky, Missouri, and the interior Northwest into Kansas and Nebraska.
According to AccuWeather, coastal parts of Washington, Oregon and California could be overcast on Monday morning.
However, an early eclipse time could help the rest of the Southwest avoid the cloud.
Heavy cloud could block the view of the solar eclipse for some Americans
Weather map showing predicted visibility on solar eclipse day
Dave Samuel, of AccuWeather, said: "There will continue to be some moisture in place over the Southwest, but the eclipse occurs there a little earlier in the day and most of the thunderstorms are likely to occur in the afternoon.”
The worst weather looks set to be in the Southeast where a number of tropical systems could cause heavy cloud and thunderstorms.
Clouds could obscure the sun in Georgia, Florida and the Carolinas by the time the eclipse takes place in the early afternoon.
It is too early to say for sure what the weather will bring, but it is likely that many Americans will be forced to do some cloud-dodging as the day progresses.
The path of totality crosses the following US states: Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia and South Carolina.
Weather forecast for path of totality, from AccuWeather.com
Eugene, Oregon: Pleasant and sunny
Madras, Oregon: Mostly sunny and beautiful with the chance of patchy cloud
Casper, Wyoming: Mostly sunny and pleasant
Lincoln, Nebraska: Humid with periods of cloud - possible thunderstorm in the afternoon
Most of the Southwest should have clear skies on eclipse day
Kansas City, Missouri: Humid with patches of cloud - thunderstorm forecast in the afternoon
St Louis, Missouri: Sunny with some cloud - thunderstorm late in the day
Nashville, Tennessee: Sun and some cloud, with a thunderstorm in the afternoon
Columbia, South Carolina: Very humid with sun and clouds - thunderstorm in the afternoon