Mid Wales and Cambrian Mountains mountain weather forecast.

Cadair Idris, Pumlumon and the central Welsh hills. Height-aware guidance for wind, cloud, rain and temperature.

Mountain Weather brief

Mid Wales and Cambrian Mountains

Wednesday 21 October 2026 · Cadair Idris, Pumlumon and the central Welsh hills

Confidence: Unavailable Why?

A comparable model-confidence estimate is not available for this forecast.

What matters most

A poor day on the tops in Mid Wales and the Cambrian Mountains, with rain for much of the day and a blustery wind.

High-ground wind · 700 m25-35 mph southerly Gusts · 700 m30-40 mph Cloud base600-1000 m Feels like · 700 m-6 to -2°C
Regional median

Sunshine and sky

More sunshine later. Sunshine is indicated more often later in the day.

Modelled sunshine5 h46% of daylight
Early0 h sunshine
Midday2 h sunshine
Later2 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 · 08:00–12:00MixedSummit winds around 15-35 mph. Gusts around 35-45 mph are possible on exposed ground. Gusts this strong can make walking into it hard work, with buffeting on ridges and edges. Rain is forecast on some hills during this period. Some early summit cloud is possible. Some forecast models bring rain during the morning, while others keep it mostly dry.
54
Afternoon · 12:00–17:00PoorSummit winds around 20-35 mph. Gusts around 35-45 mph are possible on exposed ground. Gusts this strong can make walking into it hard work, with buffeting on ridges and edges. Rain is forecast on some hills during this period. Cloud may restrict summit views around midday and later.
29

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 southerly wind of 25–35 mph, gusting 30–40 mph. Gusts like that are strong enough to make walking into it hard work, with buffeting on ridges and edges.

02

Walking impact

Gusts of 30–40 mph are strong enough to make walking into it hard work, with buffeting on ridges and edges.

03

Rain and showers

Rain for much of the day. Expect 5–10 mm in total. Some forecast models bring rain during the morning, while others keep it mostly dry. Visibility may drop briefly in showers in parts of the area.

04

Cloud-free summits

Clear-summit estimate: about 80% early, about 40% around midday and about 45% later.

05

Cloud and visibility

The tops are likely to drift in and out of cloud, with the best chance of clear tops in the early afternoon. The cloud base could be as low as 500–800 m in the early afternoon.

06

Temperature and wind chill

At around 700 m it will be 2 to 6°C, feeling like -6 to -2°C in the wind. It turns milder through the day. Take a hat, gloves, a windproof and a spare warm layer. Pack waterproofs too, and keep a warm layer dry in your pack.

07

Freezing level

The freezing level is above the summits.

08

Daylight

Sunrise 07:50, Sunset 18:07, about 10.3 hours daylight.

Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaToo windy for an exposed pitch above about 600 m on some hills (gusts of about 40 mph and around 9 mm of rain). Lower down, a mixed night to camp, mainly because of the wind. 34Poor · 600 m View detailsHide details
Regional night beginning Wednesday 21 October 2026

Full regional overnight outlook

Too windy for an exposed pitch above about 600 m on some hills. Lower down, a mixed night to camp, mainly because of the wind. Gusts reach about 40 mph around 900 m and nearer 30 mph around 300 m, 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 9 mm of rain is forecast overnight. Above about 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 4°C at 900 m.

Overnight rain9.3 mmOpen ground · 600 m21 mph · gusts 38 mphMorning pack-upDampness possible

Moon overnight

Waxing gibbous moon

Illuminated disc
80%
Moonrise
Outside this window
Moonset
03:02 next morning BST

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

Overnight window: 21 Oct, 17:00 BST to 22 Oct, 08:00 BST. Approximate open-horizon times; hills can hide the Moon. Still take a headtorch.

Representative location: 52.787, -3.688. Times vary across the area.

300 m46 · mixed
Wind / gust
17 mph / 31 mph
Coldest
5.7°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
High
600 m34 · poor
Wind / gust
21 mph / 38 mph
Coldest
5.7°C
In cloud
36% of modelled night
Condensation
High
900 m19 · very poor
Wind / gust
23 mph / 42 mph
Coldest
3.5°C
In cloud
100% 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 40 mph may affect balance on exposed rock. 11Poor · Very poor 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 very poor (11/100). Rain is likely to leave rock wet. Polished slabs, vegetation and drainage lines may be notably worse. Gusts may reach about 40 mph on exposed ground, making crosswinds an important route consideration. Mapped summit-point geology across the representative hills includes volcanic rock, granite, gneiss or gabbro and sandstone or gritstone. Rock can therefore respond differently to moisture between crags and routes.

Rock surfaceWet rock likelyExposed gust42 mphRain5.7 mm
Mapped rock across sampled summits3 broad familiesSummit samples, not a survey of every crag
volcanic rock 50% 4 representative summitsOften grippy when dry, but volcanic rocks vary widely; wet lichen, smooth holds and local seepage can still make them slippery.granite, gneiss or gabbro 25% 2 representative summitsGenerally grippy when dry and often still positive when damp, but wet slabs, lichen, polish and drainage lines can remain slippery.sandstone or gritstone 25% 2 representative summitsUsually rough and grippy when dry. Damp sandstone and gritstone can feel greasy, and saturated sandstone may be weakened, so let the rock dry fully.

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 15 October 2026 at 05:28 UTC. See typical weekly and monthly conditions for Mid Wales and Cambrian Mountains.

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.