Preparing to watch the solar eclipse? Here's the weather forecast for the Wilmington area.

Although Wilmington isn’t in the path of totality, the Cape Fear region will still be able to partially see the solar eclipse. So, what should you know about the weather before watching?

The region will have a view of around 71% so those who want to watch should be prepared for a sunny day, according to The Weather Channel.

The high for Monday is projected to be 73 degrees with a low of 55 degrees. There’s a 5% chance of rain, with winds projected to be blowing south-southeast at 11 mph.

Rachel Zouzias, a meteorologist with Wilmington's National Weather Service, said that there may be a few clouds in the afternoon, but "nothing that's going to be a showstopper."

If you’ll be spending a lot of time outside waiting for the eclipse to show, you might want to put on some sunscreen because the UV index will be an 8 out of 11. The projected humidity will be 49%.

When can you see the eclipse?

The eclipse will occur at different times for people across country, but in the Wilmington area it will last for nearly two and a half hours starting at 1:58 p.m. and until 4:28 p.m.

The peak time for the Wilmington area will be at 3:15 p.m. and this will be where the eclipse will reach around 71% visibility.

For those not in the Wilmington area, you can still look at how your location will see the eclipse with the graphic below.

North Carolina isn't in the line of totality, but in the western part of the state, views of the eclipse are as high as 86% in places like Robbinsville, Fontana Dam and Lake Santeetlah.

Those watching will be able to see the eclipse in full in other states as the line of totality makes its way from Maine down through parts of Canada, northeastern states and then down through the midwest eventually making its way down south to Arkansas and Texas.

Safety first

For those watching the eclipse, you’ll want to make sure you have the right eye protection.

A way to know if your glasses are safe is to make sure they are brands that the American Astronomical Society has approved as safe.

Be cautious with eyewear that claims to have the approval of NASA, because NASA does not certify glasses.

All eclipse glasses should have an “ISO” (International Organization for Standardization) icon and have the ISO reference number 12312-2.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Solar eclipse 2024 weather for Wilmington, NC