According to NASA, a partial eclipse was also seen within a broader path of the moon's penumbral shadow, which includes Europe, western Asia, the Middle East, India and most of Africa.

"What really surprised me was the drop in the temperature, it's now quite cold," said Luis Obiols, a meteorologist watching the sky from Madrid's Planetarium.

Some children took the day off school to watch the sky with special protective glasses and Madrid residents gathered on rooftops and streets.

"The light, the colour (of the eclipse) and the change in the tone of light, even in the shadows, was startling," said Juan Carlos Rivas, a 29-year-old student.

Authorities had repeatedly warned that looking at the sun while it was being blotted out could cause permanent damage to the retina or even blindness.

The whole process was expected to last about two-and-a-half hours, while the eclipse proper -- with the moon at the centre of the sun -- would take about four minutes, Spain's Development Ministry said.

Hundreds of people in central and northern Portugal went outdoors, with special glasses to see the eclipse. They were dressed in thick jackets because of the sudden cold.

In the northern town of Braganca, where the eclipse was most intense, a group of people stood watching at the top of a hill.

In the north African countries of Morocco and Algeria, bad weather spoiled the event for many people, who still went out into the streets for a glimpse of the eclipse.

Schools closed and mosques in both countries called for special prayers.

"I got all set for the big day, the telescope, the camera and the filters, but the sky is not clear. I guess I will have to wait for God knows how many years," said Abdellatif Hafid, a science university lecturer in Rabat.