Met Office Mountain Weather Forecasts

The UK Met Office provides mountain weather forecasts for the main hill and mountain areas around the country. These forecasts are designed for walkers, mountaineers and others enjoying outdoor activities. They’re issued each afternoon and cover that evening period, the full 24 hours from midnight to midnight for the next two days and include a brief outlook for the following three days. They’re then updated in the early hours of each morning before 6am so it’s important to check again on the day for any updates.

Mountain weather forecasts are available for the Northwest Highlands, North Grampian, South Grampian and Southeast Highlands and Southwest Highlands regions in Scotland. In England they’re written for the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and Peak District. Forecasts are also available for Snowdonia and Brecon Beacons in Wales and the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland.

Met Office

The forecasts use a standard format familiar to those who might use the Met Office for regular weather forecasts. Familiar graphics help break up the text and make getting the information you need for your adventure simple. Each forecast starts with a statement about the confidence of the report and any mountain weather hazards for the period. It’s then followed by more a detailed three-hourly breakdown of the general weather and chance of precipitation typically at the highest point in that mountain region.

More detailed information is then available at a variety of heights for wind direction, speed and gusts and temperature including feels like temperature – essential for windy days on the mountains.

Checking the mountain weather forecast before your day out in the hills is essential as is using a number of resources. In addition to the excellent Met Office mountain weather forecasts, we also recommend checking the Mountain Weather Information Service (MWIS).

Met Office Mountain Weather Forecasts

If you’d like to learn more about mountain weather resources and understand how the weather can affect your mountain day, book yourself on one of our Hills Skills courses in the Peak District or Mountain Skills weekends in Snowdonia.