Lewis and Harris mountain weather forecast.

The Harris hills and Clisham. Height-aware guidance for wind, cloud, rain and temperature.

Mountain Weather brief

Lewis and Harris

Saturday 17 October 2026 · The Harris hills and Clisham

Confidence: Medium Why?

Uncertainty over sky cloud cover and sunshine.

What matters most

A fine day in Lewis and Harris: dry, with light winds and clear tops for most of the day.

High-ground wind · 700 m5-15 mph southwesterly Gusts · 700 m10-20 mph Cloud base1200-1500 m Feels like · 700 m-4 to 0°C
Regional median

Sunshine and sky

Less sunshine later. Sunshine is indicated less often later in the day.

Modelled sunshine5.3 h53% of daylight
Early1 h sunshine
Midday1.1 h sunshine
Later1.2 h sunshine

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.

Morning · 08:00–12:00ExcellentSummit winds around 5-15 mph. Gusts around 5-15 mph are possible on exposed ground.
95
Afternoon · 12:00–17:00ExcellentSummit winds around 5-15 mph. Gusts around 5-15 mph are possible on exposed ground.
95

Conservative regional grades across representative summits, so one sheltered hill does not overstate the wider area.

01

High-ground wind (700 m)

At around 700 m, expect a south-westerly wind of 5–15 mph, gusting 10–20 mph.

02

Walking impact

Little effect on walking, although exposed tops may still feel chilly.

03

Ground conditions

The ground is likely to be wet after recent rain.

04

Rain and showers

It should stay dry.

05

Cloud-free summits

Clear-summit estimate: about 90% early, about 90% around midday and about 90% later.

06

Cloud and visibility

The tops should stay clear of cloud all day. The air should be clear too, so expect far-reaching views from the tops.

07

Temperature and wind chill

At around 700 m it will be 0 to 4°C, feeling like -4 to 0°C in the wind. Take a hat, gloves, a windproof and a spare warm layer.

08

Freezing level

The freezing level is above the summits.

09

Daylight

Sunrise 08:05, Sunset 18:18, about 10.2 hours daylight.

Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaAcross these hills, a mixed night to camp, mainly because of the cold: gusts of about 30 mph. 59Mixed · 600 m View detailsHide details
Regional night beginning Saturday 17 October 2026

Full regional overnight outlook

Across these hills, a mixed night to camp, mainly because of the cold. Gusts reach about 30 mph on open ground, so peg out well and use the guylines. Look for shelter from the south. It should stay dry. A cold night, down to about 2°C around 300 m.

Overnight rain0.0 mmOpen ground · 600 m15 mph · gusts 28 mphMorning pack-upNo wet signal

Moon overnight

Waxing crescent moon

Illuminated disc
44%
Moonrise
Outside this window
Moonset
21:25 BST

Cloud and terrain vary across the area. Illumination describes the sunlit part of the Moon, not brightness at your pitch.

Overnight window: 17 Oct, 17:00 BST to 18 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.

300 m59 · mixed
Wind / gust
12 mph / 23 mph
Coldest
2.5°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
Low
600 m59 · mixed
Wind / gust
15 mph / 28 mph
Coldest
2.5°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
Low

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 & scramblingBetaRock may be damp or still drying. 76Good · Good View detailsHide details
Regional rock conditions · sampled mountain terrain

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 good (76/100). Some rock may remain damp or incompletely dried, especially in shade and seepage lines. Mapped summit-point geology across the representative hills includes granite, gneiss or gabbro. Rock can therefore respond differently to moisture between crags and routes.

Rock surfaceDry overhead; seepage uncertainExposed gust13 mphRain0.0 mm
Mapped rock across sampled summits1 broad familySummit samples, not a survey of every crag
granite, gneiss or gabbro 100% 1 representative summitGenerally grippy when dry and often still positive when damp, but wet slabs, lichen, polish and drainage lines can remain slippery.

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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This is about Lewis and Harris on Saturday 17 October 2026. It asks about intentions, not whether you actually went out. No name or account is needed.

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Weather data: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0). Adapted by Mountain Weather.

Updated 14 October 2026 at 15:27 UTC. See typical weekly and monthly conditions for Lewis and Harris.

More context for your hill day

Check the approach as well as the tops

Compare midge conditions by day and height, or look for a possible cloud inversion. For Snowdon and Tryfan, camera-derived cloud-base observations add a view of conditions already seen on the slopes.