The day on the hill
Mostly dry with limited summit cloud on Hen Comb: summit wind broadly 10-20 mph, with gusts 15-25 mph at times (a moderate breeze).
Cloud & views
Cloud base mostly around 600–900 m through daylight. The summit is likely to stay mostly clear.
Cloud-height uncertainty could put the summit in or out of cloud. Clear spells may be difficult to time.
Cloud may hang lower on southwestern slopes and lift somewhat on the northeastern side, but local terrain can differ. Very little direct sunshine is likely, with extensive cloud.
Drizzle is forecast at times. The forecast total is up to around 2 mm, but local amounts will vary.
Forecast confidence
Cloud height remains uncertain, especially where it is close to summit level. Cloud-height uncertainty could put the summit in or out of cloud, even where forecasts agree on the wider cloud cover.
Sunshine context Model-grid estimate, not summit sunshine
The surrounding model grid indicates 0 h of sunshine. This is not a forecast of time in sunshine on the summit. Use the cloud and views outlook above for the conditions on this mountain.
- Early
- 0 h
- Midday
- 0 h
- Later
- 0 h
Overnight forecast: 17:00–08:00 (UK local time), in Wild camping below.
Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaAbout 14.2 mm is forecast, with rain liable to affect both pitching and packing up. 39/100Poor · 300 m View detailsHide details
Full overnight outlook
Open-hillside camping looks poor overall around 300 m (39/100). It may be breezy on open ground, with gusts near 25 mph. Roughly 14.2 mm is forecast overnight, with rain liable to affect both pitching and packing up. Condensation risk is high near 300 m, so a wet pack-up is possible. Ventilation will matter.
Moon overnight
Waxing gibbous moon
- Illuminated disc
- 86%
- Moonrise
- 18:01 BST
- Moonset
- 02:40 next morning BST
Extensive cloud may limit moonlight. Illumination describes the sunlit part of the Moon, not brightness at your pitch.
Overnight window: 22 Sep, 17:00 BST to 23 Sep, 08:00 BST. Approximate open-horizon times; hills can hide the Moon. Still take a headtorch.
Elevation reference (open ground)
- Wind / gust
- 12 mph / 24 mph
- Typical / low
- 13.0°C / 9.4°C · a brief spell
- In cloud
- 0% of modelled night
- Condensation
- High
Warmth planning: As a broad starting point, consider a 3-season bag with an ISO/EN comfort rating at or below about 6°C. Allow more margin if you sleep cold or expect fatigue, and use an adequate insulated mat. Dampness is possible, so keep the sleep system dry and ensure its insulation remains effective if damp.
Open-hillside reference. A sheltered pitch may be calmer; cols and ridges may be much windier. Tent design and the exact pitch still matter. Read about sleeping-bag comfort ratings, pitching in strong winds or using the wild-camping forecast.
Did this match your night?Share a quick observation to help improve this beta forecast.Give feedback
Daytime · exposed rockClimbing & scramblingBetaWet rock is likely. Poor45/100 View detailsHide details
Full climbing & scrambling outlook
Conditions for exposed scrambling look mixed (45/100). Rain during the climbing period is likely to leave rock wet and more slippery. The mapped summit rock is Mudstone and siltstone (Kirk Stile Formation). Often positive when dry, but smooth, polished or slabby sections can become markedly more slippery when damp. Representative samples along available mapped routes also include Wacke, so rock character and wet-weather behaviour may change across the mountain.
Often positive when dry, but smooth, polished or slabby sections can become markedly more slippery when damp. Summit-point mapping plus representative BGS bedrock samples along available GPX routes. These are not continuous geological surveys; contacts, superficial deposits and the exposed rock on individual holds may differ.
Rock groups along the sampled routes
These are mapped rock groups, not separate weather forecasts or a ranking of route safety.
Wainwright Loweswater Round
slate or mudstone, sandstone or gritstone
Geological detail and BGS records
2 rock types appear across the available route samples
The summit type remains the forecast's cautious rock-response reference. Other mapped types show where conditions may behave differently elsewhere on the mountain.
Often positive when dry, but smooth, polished or slabby sections can become markedly more slippery when damp.
BGS recordUsually rough and grippy when dry. Damp sandstone and gritstone can feel greasy, and saturated sandstone may be weakened, so let the rock dry fully.
BGS recordGeneric exposed scrambling terrain; mapped summit-point bedrock is included where available, but route grade, exact rock, polish, drainage and escape options remain unresolved. Contains British Geological Survey materials © UKRI 2026. How to use the climbing and scrambling forecast.
Did this match your experience?Tell us about the rock surface and wind to help improve this beta forecast.Give feedback
Overnight · Aurora, stars & meteorsAfter darkBetaCloud is likely to obscure much of the sky. Reduced visibility may obscure faint objects. Moonlight washes out fainter stars. View forecastClose forecast
After dark: aurora and stargazing
Night beginning 2026-09-22. All times are UK local time.
Aurora is unlikely on this night
Forecast activity is currently too weak for a likely sighting here. Forecast activity peaks near Kp 2.0 on the 0 to 9 scale. Roughly Kp 5.0 may bring a camera view near the northern horizon, but this is not a firm threshold.
Activity can change at short notice. Check again on the night.
Stargazing
Poor sky conditions during the best available spell: 22 Sep, 21:15 BST to 22:00 BST.
Cloud is likely to obscure much of the sky. Reduced visibility may obscure faint objects. Moonlight washes out fainter stars.
Moon-free dark sky: 23 Sep, 02:30 BST to 04:55 BST.
Sky conditions through the night
| Time | Viewing conditions |
|---|---|
| 22 Sep, 21:15 BST to 22:00 BST | Poor sky conditions Cloud is likely to obscure much of the sky. Reduced visibility may obscure faint objects. Moonlight washes out fainter stars. |
| 22 Sep, 22:00 BST to 23:00 BST | Poor sky conditions Cloud is likely to obscure much of the sky. Moonlight washes out fainter stars. |
| 22 Sep, 23:00 BST to 23 Sep, 00:00 BST | Poor sky conditions Cloud is likely to obscure much of the sky. Moonlight washes out fainter stars. |
| 23 Sep, 00:00 BST to 01:00 BST | Poor sky conditions Cloud is likely to obscure much of the sky. Moonlight washes out fainter stars. |
| 23 Sep, 01:00 BST to 02:00 BST | Poor sky conditions Cloud is likely to obscure much of the sky. |
| 23 Sep, 02:00 BST to 03:00 BST | Poor sky conditions Cloud is likely to obscure much of the sky. |
| 23 Sep, 03:00 BST to 04:00 BST | Poor sky conditions Cloud is likely to obscure much of the sky. Rain may interrupt viewing. Reduced visibility may obscure faint objects. |
| 23 Sep, 04:00 BST to 04:55 BST | Poor sky conditions Cloud is likely to obscure much of the sky. Rain may interrupt viewing. Reduced visibility may obscure faint objects. |
Moon, darkness and meteor showers
Gibbous moon, about 85% illuminated.
Moonrise around 22 Sep, 18:05 BST.
Moonset around 23 Sep, 02:30 BST.
Full darkness: 22 Sep, 21:15 BST to 23 Sep, 04:55 BST.
Moon times assume an open horizon. Hills can hide the Moon sooner. Moon-free does not mean cloud-free.
Southern Taurids are active on this night. Activity may be much lower away from the peak.
- Draconids: peak around 9 October 2026.
- Southern Taurids: peak around 10 October 2026.
- Orionids: peak around 21 October 2026.
- Northern Taurids: peak around 12 November 2026.
- Leonids: peak around 18 November 2026.
- Geminids: peak around 14 December 2026.
- Ursids: peak around 22 December 2026.
Dates from the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Activity dates do not guarantee visible meteors. Look across a broad, dark sky, not only north.
Darkness of the surroundings
Estimated darkness rank 816 of 980 assessed peaks (1 is darkest), based on surrounding artificial light in 2021. This is not a measurement of tonight’s sky.
2021 artificial-light baseline, not measured sky brightness or a Bortle class. Changes to lighting, blue-rich LEDs, terrain screening, atmospheric scattering and cloud-reflected light are not resolved. Similar ranks are not meaningfully distinct. Darkness is not a recommendation to climb a summit at night.
VIIRS nighttime lights: Earth Observation Group, Payne Institute for Public Policy, Colorado School of Mines. Reprocessed by OpenGeoHub/OpenLandMap. Cropped and ranked by Mountain Weather.
Sky-weather grades exclude light pollution, terrain and thin haze. They are not mountain safety ratings. Check the mountain and camping forecast separately. Accessible lower viewpoints may be a better choice than summits.
Recommended kit for this dayWeather-aware packing prompts, plus your core hillwalking kitView kit
For a day hillwalk, not a complete route-specific checklist. Carry navigation and backup you can use, warm and waterproof layers, suitable footwear, food and water, a headtorch, emergency shelter, first aid and a way to call for help. Snow, ice, technical terrain and overnight trips need additional equipment and skills.
Does the weather shape your plans?Optional hill-user research. One answer helps; further questions are up to you.Take part
Help the Mountain Decisions Project understand how forecasts influence hill days, including when plans stay the same. Findings will be shared publicly as summaries, not individual responses.
This is about Hen Comb on Tuesday 22 September 2026. It asks about intentions, not whether you actually went out. No name or account is needed.
Open the questions to take part.
About the research and your privacy · Already been out? Share that experience instead