Lewis and Harris
A mixed day in Lewis and Harris, with burns likely to be in spate and a blustery wind.
Sunshine and sky
Less sunshine later. Sunshine is indicated less often later in the day.
These are direct modelled sunshine hours during daylight, not the probability of sunshine. Cloud cover and summit cloud are assessed separately in the forecast above. The regional median prevents one unusually bright or dull summit cell defining the whole area.
Overnight forecast: 17:00–08:00 (UK local time), in Wild camping below.
High-ground wind (700 m)
At around 700 m, expect a southerly wind of 25–35 mph, gusting 35–45 mph, picking up through the day. Gusts like that are strong enough to make walking into it hard work, with buffeting on ridges and edges.
Walking impact
Gusts of 35–45 mph are strong enough to make walking into it hard work, with buffeting on ridges and edges.
Spate risk
High spate risk based on forecast rainfall. Burns and unbridged crossings may become difficult or impassable. Timing and severity can vary between catchments. Check the peak forecast for the separate rain/runoff periods. Turn back if a crossing looks unsafe.
Rain and showers
Drizzle sets in during the early afternoon and becomes heavier later. Expect 2–5 mm in total.
Cloud-free summits
Clear-summit estimate: about 90% early, about 90% around midday and about 10% later.
Cloud and visibility
The tops start clear, but the cloud comes down onto them mid-afternoon. The cloud base could be as low as 400–700 m in the early evening. Some forecast models are much cloudier overhead. That may limit sunshine without putting the summits in cloud. It will look largely cloudy overhead, but that cloud should mostly stay above the tops.
Temperature and wind chill
At around 700 m it will be 2 to 6°C, feeling like -4 to 0°C in the wind. Take a hat, gloves, a windproof and a spare warm layer. Pack waterproofs too, and keep a warm layer dry in your pack.
Freezing level
The freezing level is above the summits.
Daylight
Sunrise 07:45, Sunset 18:42, about 10.9 hours daylight.
Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaToo windy for an exposed pitch up around 600 m on some hills (gusts of about 45 mph and heavy rain, around 35 mm). Lower down, a poor night to camp on open ground. 19/100Poor · 600 m View detailsHide details
Full regional overnight outlook
Too windy for an exposed pitch up around 600 m on some hills. Lower down, a poor night to camp on open ground. Gusts reach about 45 mph on open ground, which makes for a noisy, testing night even in a good tent. Check the forecast for the hill and height you have in mind, and don't assume lower ground will be sheltered. About 34 mm of rain is forecast overnight. Up around 600 m you'd likely be in cloud for part of the night: damp, and hard to find your way if you need to move. Overnight lows of about 6°C at 600 m.
Moon overnight
Waning crescent moon
- Illuminated disc
- 3%
- Moonrise
- 06:17 next morning BST
- Moonset
- 17:52 BST
Cloud and terrain vary across the area. Illumination describes the sunlit part of the Moon, not brightness at your pitch.
Overnight window: 8 Oct, 17:00 BST to 9 Oct, 08:00 BST. Approximate open-horizon times; hills can hide the Moon. Still take a headtorch.
Representative location: 57.964, -6.813. Times vary across the area.
Elevation reference (open ground)
- Wind / gust
- 19 mph / 35 mph
- Coldest
- 6.0°C
- In cloud
- 0% of modelled night
- Condensation
- High
- Wind / gust
- 23 mph / 43 mph
- Coldest
- 5.5°C
- In cloud
- 80% of modelled night
- Condensation
- High
Open-hillside guidance across representative hills. Local shelter, ridges, tent design and the exact pitch can change conditions substantially. Read about sleeping-bag comfort ratings, pitching in strong winds or using the wild-camping forecast.
Daytime · exposed rockClimbing & scramblingBetaWet rock is likely. Gusts near 45 mph may affect balance on exposed rock. 0/100Poor · Very poor View detailsHide details
Regional climbing & scrambling outlook
A broad guide to dampness and exposed rock across the area, not a forecast for every crag. Lower, sheltered crags and individual rock types may behave differently.
Conditions for exposed scrambling across the area look very poor (0/100). Rain is likely to leave rock wet. Polished slabs, vegetation and drainage lines may be notably worse. Gusts may reach about 45 mph on exposed ground, making crosswinds an important route consideration. Mapped summit-point geology across the representative hills includes granite, gneiss or gabbro. Rock can therefore respond differently to moisture between crags and routes.
Representative summit-point samples across the region; individual crags and routes may differ.
Generic exposed hands-on-rock terrain across representative summits; mapped summit-point geology is a broad regional sample, not a named-route survey. Contains British Geological Survey materials © UKRI 2026. How to use the climbing and scrambling forecast.
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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Weather data: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0). Adapted by Mountain Weather.
Updated 8 October 2026 at 05:28 UTC. See typical weekly and monthly conditions for Lewis and Harris.