North Pennines
A poor day on the tops in the North Pennines, with strong, gusty winds and drizzle clearing by mid-afternoon.
Sunshine and sky
Extensive cloud. Cloud is likely to remain extensive for much of 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 south-westerly wind of 30–40 mph, gusting 40–50 mph, strongest first thing and easing later. Gusts like that are strong enough to knock you off balance, so take care near edges and on narrow ridges.
Walking impact
Gusts of 40–50 mph are strong enough to knock you off balance, so take care near edges and on narrow ridges.
Rain and showers
Drizzle at first, clearing by mid-afternoon. Expect 2–5 mm in total. Rain is possible during the main walking period, but its timing may shift by several hours. The timing may shift by a few hours. On some hills, cloud may make navigation difficult, with very poor visibility in wetter spells.
Cloud-free summits
Clear-summit estimate: about 10% early, about 20% around midday and about 65% later.
Cloud and visibility
Expect many summits to be in cloud for most of the day. The cloud base could be as low as 500–800 m early in the morning. In cloud you'll be finding your way without landmarks, so carry navigation you trust and know how to use, with a backup such as a spare battery or a map and compass.
Temperature and wind chill
At around 700 m it will be 4 to 8°C, feeling like -2 to 2°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 07:37, Sunset 18:12, about 10.6 hours daylight.
Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaAcross these hills, a reasonable night to camp, with a well-chosen pitch: gusts of about 25 mph. 64Mixed · 600 m View detailsHide details
Full regional overnight outlook
Across these hills, a reasonable night to camp, with a well-chosen pitch. Light winds on open ground, gusting no more than about 25 mph. Some light 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. The air is damp at every height we checked (300-600 m), so expect heavy condensation. Leave the vents open. Overnight lows of about 5°C at 600 m.
Moon overnight
Waxing crescent moon
- Illuminated disc
- 26%
- Moonrise
- Outside this window
- Moonset
- 19:37 BST
Cloud and terrain vary across the area. Illumination describes the sunlit part of the Moon, not brightness at your pitch.
Overnight window: 15 Oct, 17:00 BST to 16 Oct, 08:00 BST. Approximate open-horizon times; hills can hide the Moon. Still take a headtorch.
Representative location: 54.703, -2.487. Times vary across the area.
Elevation reference (open ground)
- Wind / gust
- 12 mph / 20 mph
- Coldest
- 5.2°C
- In cloud
- 0% of modelled night
- Condensation
- High
- Wind / gust
- 14 mph / 24 mph
- Coldest
- 5.1°C
- In cloud
- 33% 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. 0Poor · 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 sandstone or gritstone, slate or mudstone and limestone. 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 15 October 2026 at 15:29 UTC. See typical weekly and monthly conditions for North Pennines.