A solar eclipse presents many opportunities for examining the impact of the reduction in solar radiation upon meteorological conditions, particularly so as accurate predictions of the circumstances and extent of the eclipse well before the event enable bespoke observing programmes to be set out in advance. The total solar eclipse of 21 August 2017 traversed the United States from north-west to south-east (Figure 1) and a partial eclipse (at least) was visible in every state. According to news reports, the path of totality was lined with more than 10 million people, making this probably the largest audience for any total solar eclipse in human history. The time of year and time of day was favourable for both good viewing conditions along much of the eclipse path, and for the detection of eclipse-related impacts on surface meteorological variables
