Northumberland and Cheviots mountain weather forecast.

The Cheviots and Northumberland's higher hills. Height-aware guidance for wind, cloud, rain and temperature.

Mountain Weather brief

Northumberland and Cheviots

Thursday 8 October 2026 · The Cheviots and Northumberland's higher hills

Confidence: High Why?

Forecast models agree on the conditions that matter most to walkers.

What matters most

A fine day in Northumberland and the Cheviots: light winds and clear tops for most of the day.

High-ground wind · 600 m10-20 mph westerly Gusts · 600 m15-25 mph Cloud base1400-1700 m Feels like · 600 m-4 to 0°C
Regional median

Sunshine and sky

Cloud becoming more extensive. Cloud cover is likely to increase as sunshine becomes less frequent.

Modelled sunshine6.3 h57% of daylight
Early2 h sunshine
Midday3.3 h sunshine
Later0 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 10-20 mph are possible on exposed ground.
90/100
Afternoon · 12:00–17:00ExcellentSummit winds around 5-15 mph. Gusts around 10-20 mph are possible on exposed ground.
90/100

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

01

High-ground wind (600 m)

At around 600 m, expect a westerly wind of 10–20 mph, gusting 15–25 mph.

02

Walking impact

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

03

Rain and showers

Dry through the daylight hours, but rain arrives after dark.

04

Cloud-free summits

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

05

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.

06

Temperature and wind chill

At around 600 m it will be 0 to 4°C, feeling like -4 to 0°C in the wind. It turns milder through the day. Take a hat, gloves, a windproof and a spare warm layer.

07

Freezing level

The freezing level is close to summit height.

08

Daylight

Sunrise 07:24, Sunset 18:27, about 11.1 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 about 6 mm of rain). Lower down, a poor night to camp on open ground. 19/100Poor · 600 m View detailsHide details
Regional night beginning Thursday 8 October 2026

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 6 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 5°C at 600 m.

Overnight rain5.5 mmOpen ground · 600 m24 mph · gusts 43 mphMorning pack-upDampness possible

Moon overnight

Waning crescent moon

Illuminated disc
3%
Moonrise
05:56 next morning BST
Moonset
17:32 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: 55.478, -2.145. Times vary across the area.

300 m39/100 · poor
Wind / gust
20 mph / 36 mph
Coldest
5.5°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
High
600 m19/100 · very poor
Wind / gust
24 mph / 43 mph
Coldest
5.1°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 & scramblingBetaRock may be damp or still drying. 55/100Mixed · Mixed 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 mixed (55/100). 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 and volcanic rock. Rock can therefore respond differently to moisture between crags and routes.

Rock surfaceDamp or dryingExposed gust20 mphRain0.3 mm
Mapped rock across sampled summits2 broad familiesSummit samples, not a survey of every crag
granite, gneiss or gabbro 60% 3 representative summitsGenerally grippy when dry and often still positive when damp, but wet slabs, lichen, polish and drainage lines can remain slippery.volcanic rock 40% 2 representative summitsOften grippy when dry, but volcanic rocks vary widely; wet lichen, smooth holds and local seepage can still make them 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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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 Northumberland and Cheviots.

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.