The day on the hill
On Meal Fell: summit wind broadly 10-25 mph, with gusts 20-30 mph at times (a moderate breeze). Visibility may drop briefly in showers.
Things to watch
High spate risk early in the day and into the afternoon, with forecast rain and subsequent runoff. Timings are approximate, not a guarantee of safe crossings afterwards. Burns and unbridged crossings may become difficult or impassable. Turn back if a crossing looks unsafe.
Cloud & views
Cloud base around 600–900 m in the morning, lifting to 1400–1700 m around midday and 1500–1800 m by late afternoon. 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 northwestern slopes and lift somewhat on the southeastern side, but local terrain can differ. Showers are forecast.
The forecast total is around 5-10 mm, but local amounts will vary.
Forecast confidence
Cloud height remains uncertain, especially where it is close to summit level. Exposed tops may feel chilly in the wind.
A windproof layer will help, with an extra warm layer for stops. If clothing gets wet, you can cool more quickly.
Keep a dry warm layer protected. Forecast models differ on whether meaningful rain reaches the hills during the morning.
Cloud-free timing: Around 60% early, improving to around 95% later.
Sunshine context Model-grid estimate, not summit sunshine
The surrounding model grid indicates 6.1 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
- 3.5 h
- Later
- 1.6 h
Overnight forecast: 17:00–08:00 (UK local time), in Wild camping below.
Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaA broadly very good night on a well-chosen pitch. 93/100Excellent · 600 m View detailsHide details
Full overnight outlook
Open-hillside camping looks very good overall around 600 m (93/100). It may be breezy on open ground, with gusts near 20 mph. Little overnight rain is forecast.
Moon overnight
Waxing gibbous moon
- Illuminated disc
- 92%
- Moonrise
- 18:12 BST
- Moonset
- 04:00 next morning BST
Views of the Moon may come and go through cloud breaks. Illumination describes the sunlit part of the Moon, not brightness at your pitch.
Overnight window: 23 Sep, 17:00 BST to 24 Sep, 08:00 BST. Approximate open-horizon times; hills can hide the Moon. Still take a headtorch.
Elevation reference (open ground)
- Wind / gust
- 7 mph / 17 mph
- Typical / low
- 7.6°C / 7.2°C · much of the night
- In cloud
- 0% of modelled night
- Condensation
- Low
- Wind / gust
- 9 mph / 20 mph
- Typical / low
- 7.6°C / 7.2°C · much of the night
- In cloud
- 0% of modelled night
- Condensation
- Low
Warmth planning: As a broad starting point, consider a 3-season bag with an ISO/EN comfort rating at or below about 4°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.
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Daytime · exposed rockClimbing & scramblingBetaWet rock is likely. Poor7/100 View detailsHide details
Full climbing & scrambling outlook
Conditions for exposed scrambling look very poor (7/100). Rain during the climbing period is likely to leave rock wet and more slippery. The mapped summit rock is Mudstone and siltstone (Hope Beck 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 Andesite, Siltstone and mudstone, interbedded, 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 Uldale Fells Round
volcanic rock, slate or mudstone
Geological detail and BGS records
4 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 recordOften grippy when dry, but volcanic rocks vary widely; wet lichen, smooth holds and local seepage can still make them slippery.
BGS recordOften positive when dry, but smooth, polished or slabby sections can become markedly more slippery when damp.
BGS recordOften positive when dry, but smooth, polished or slabby sections can become markedly more slippery when damp.
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.
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Overnight · Aurora, stars & meteorsAfter darkBetaSome potential for aurora on this night View forecastClose forecast
After dark: aurora and stargazing
Night beginning 2026-09-23. All times are UK local time.
Some potential for aurora on this night
Forecast activity could bring aurora within view from here, particularly towards the northern horizon. Forecast activity peaks near Kp 5.3 on the 0 to 9 scale.
Best forecast window: 24 Sep, 04:00 BST to 05:00 BST.
Look north-north-west, from the horizon part-way up the sky. A clear, open view that way matters more than height.
The Moon is below the horizon around the best forecast hour, so moonlight should not wash out a faint display then.
Aurora viewing guidance
Cloud is sampled overhead and towards the northern viewing horizon. Narrow cloud bands can still be missed. Forecast models disagree on cloud towards the viewing horizon.
The terrain horizon has not been checked at this exact location. Nearby slopes or a lower campsite can have a very different view.
More surrounding artificial light lies towards the aurora than at most assessed peaks. This may make a faint, low display harder to pick out.
Most likely a faint glow low in the sky that a phone camera shows better than your eyes. It can look like thin cloud.
Not sure what you are seeing? Take a Night-mode photo facing north: rest the phone on a rock or pack, use the main lens and a timer, and hold still for a 3–10 second exposure. Cameras show aurora colour long before eyes do.
Aurora activity can change quickly. This is experimental guidance, not a guaranteed sighting. Check again before heading out.
Stargazing
Good sky conditions during the best available spell: 24 Sep, 04:00 BST to 05:00 BST.
Clearer spells are possible, but other forecasts keep much of the sky obscured by cloud.
Moon-free dark sky: 24 Sep, 03:50 BST to 05:00 BST.
Sky conditions through the night
| Time | Viewing conditions |
|---|---|
| 23 Sep, 21:10 BST to 22:00 BST | Mixed sky conditions Cloud breaks may offer some views of the stars. Moonlight washes out fainter stars. |
| 23 Sep, 22:00 BST to 23:00 BST | Poor sky conditions Clearer spells are possible, but other forecasts keep much of the sky obscured by cloud. Forecast models disagree. |
| 23 Sep, 23:00 BST to 24 Sep, 00:00 BST | Poor sky conditions Cloud is likely to obscure much of the sky. Moonlight washes out fainter stars. |
| 24 Sep, 00:00 BST to 01:00 BST | Poor sky conditions Clearer spells are possible, but other forecasts keep much of the sky obscured by cloud. Forecast models disagree. |
| 24 Sep, 01:00 BST to 02:00 BST | Poor sky conditions Cloud is likely to obscure much of the sky. Moonlight washes out fainter stars. |
| 24 Sep, 02:00 BST to 03:00 BST | Poor sky conditions Cloud is likely to obscure much of the sky. Moonlight washes out fainter stars. |
| 24 Sep, 03:00 BST to 04:00 BST | Mixed sky conditions Clearer spells are possible, but other forecasts keep much of the sky obscured by cloud. Forecast models disagree. |
| 24 Sep, 04:00 BST to 05:00 BST | Good sky conditions Clearer spells are possible, but other forecasts keep much of the sky obscured by cloud. Forecast models disagree. |
Moon, darkness and meteor showers
Gibbous moon, about 92% illuminated.
Moonrise around 23 Sep, 18:15 BST.
Moonset around 24 Sep, 03:50 BST.
Full darkness: 23 Sep, 21:10 BST to 24 Sep, 05:00 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 708 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.
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