North Pennines mountain weather forecast.

Cross Fell and the North Pennine moors. Height-aware guidance for wind, cloud, rain and temperature.

Mountain Weather brief

North Pennines

Sunday 30 August 2026 · Cross Fell and the North Pennine moors

Confidence: Medium

Why: Thunderstorm timing is inherently uncertain and may shift by several hours.

What matters most

Thunderstorms are the main concern, especially on exposed summits and ridges. A noticeable southerly breeze and Persistent rain.

High-ground wind · 700 m15 mph southerly Gusts · 700 m25 mph Cloud base700-1000 m Feels like · 700 m8°C
Morning · 07:00–13:00PoorSome early summit cloud is possible.
37/100
Afternoon & evening · 13:00–22:00Poor
45/100

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

01

High-ground wind (700 m)

Southerly around 15 mph at 700 m. Gusts reaching around 25 mph at 700 m, with locally higher values possible on the most exposed tops. Little overall change through the day.

02

Walking impact

Noticeable on exposed ground, but unlikely to impede most walking.

03

Thunderstorms

A moderate thunderstorm risk is indicated from early morning into the afternoon. Avoid committing to exposed summits or ridges while storms are building or nearby.

04

Rain and showers

Persistent rain for much of the day.

05

Cloud-free summits

Around 55%. Around 60% early, falling to around 50% later.

06

Cloud and visibility

Cloud bases mostly around 700-1000 m. Bases are likely to lower later in the day. Cloud is likely to come and go on the higher summits; breaks may be useful but not dependable.

07

Temperature and wind chill

Around 11°C at 700 m, feeling like 8°C in the wind.

08

Freezing level

Above the summits.

09

Daylight

Sunrise 06:12 — Sunset 20:07 — about 13.9 hours daylight.

Overnight · 6 p.m.–9 a.m.Wild campingBetaThunder risk is around 44% in parts of the area; avoid exposed pitches if storms develop. 42/100Poor · 600 m View detailsHide details
Regional night beginning Sunday 30 August 2026

Full regional overnight outlook

Across representative hills, open-hillside camping looks poor around 600 m (42/100). A wet night is likely, with around 8 mm indicated between pitching and packing up.

Overnight rain7.5 mmOpen ground · 600 m8 mph · gusts 14 mphMorning pack-upDampness possible
300 m43/100 · poor
Wind / gust
7 / 11 mph
Coldest
11.6°C
In cloud
Unlikely
Condensation
High
600 m42/100 · poor
Wind / gust
8 / 14 mph
Coldest
10.6°C
In cloud
62% of night
Condensation
High

Open-hillside guidance across representative hills. Local shelter, ridges, tent design and the exact pitch can change conditions substantially. How to use the wild-camping forecast.

Daytime · exposed rockClimbing & scramblingBetaThunder risk is around 43% in parts of the area; exposed scrambling may be a poor choice. 10/100Poor · Very poor View detailsHide details
Across representative exposed-rock terrain

Full regional climbing & scrambling outlook

Conditions for exposed scrambling across the area look very poor (10/100). Rain is likely to leave rock wet; polished slabs, vegetation and drainage lines may be notably worse. Mapped summit-point geology across the representative hills includes limestone and sandstone or gritstone; moisture response can therefore vary substantially between crags and routes.

Rock surfaceWet rock likelyExposed gust22 mphRain9.9 mm
Mapped rock across sampled summits2 broad familiesRepresentative summit samples
limestone 50% 4 representative summitsUsually positive where it is rough and dry, but polished limestone can become very slippery when wet and seepage may linger.sandstone or gritstone 50% 4 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.

Updated 30 August 2026 at 04:40 UTC. See typical weekly and monthly conditions for North Pennines.

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