Northumberland and Cheviots
Monday 31 August 2026 · The Cheviots and Northumberland's higher hills
Why: Thunderstorm timing is inherently uncertain and may shift by several hours.
Thunderstorms are the main concern, especially on exposed summits and ridges. A noticeable westerly breeze and A risk of patchy rain or drizzle.
High-ground wind (600 m)
Westerly around 15 mph at 600 m. Gusts reaching around 20 mph at 600 m, with locally higher values possible on the most exposed tops. Starting nearer 5 mph, then strengthening toward 15 mph later.
Walking impact
Noticeable on exposed ground, but unlikely to impede most walking.
Thunderstorms
A moderate thunderstorm risk is indicated from the morning into the afternoon. Avoid committing to exposed summits or ridges while storms are building or nearby.
Rain and showers
Likely to be mostly dry, but patchy rain or drizzle remains possible. Forecast models disagree on whether and when it may arrive.
Cloud-free summits
Around 45%. Cloudier around midday at about 30%; around 50% early and 55% later.
Cloud and visibility
Cloud bases mostly around 700-1000 m. Bases should tend to lift as the day goes on. Cloud bases are likely to remain high, but some forecast models are much cloudier, so more extensive summit cloud remains a credible outcome. Cloud is likely to come and go on the higher summits; breaks may be useful but not dependable.
Temperature and wind chill
Around 10°C at 600 m, feeling like 6°C in the wind.
Freezing level
Above the summits.
Daylight
Sunrise 06:11 — Sunset 20:05 — about 13.9 hours daylight.
Overnight · 6 p.m.–9 a.m.Wild campingBetaThunder risk is around 24% in parts of the area; avoid exposed pitches if storms develop. 68/100Mixed · 600 m View detailsHide details
Full regional overnight outlook
Across representative hills, open-hillside camping looks reasonable around 600 m (68/100).
Elevation reference (open ground)
- Wind / gust
- 10 / 18 mph
- Coldest
- 9.3°C
- In cloud
- Unlikely
- Condensation
- Low
- Wind / gust
- 12 / 22 mph
- Coldest
- 8.6°C
- In cloud
- Unlikely
- 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 & scramblingBetaThunder risk is around 34% in parts of the area; exposed scrambling may be a poor choice. 36/100Poor · Poor View detailsHide details
Full regional climbing & scrambling outlook
Conditions for exposed scrambling across the area look poor (36/100). Some rock may remain damp or incompletely dried, especially in shade and seepage lines. Mapped summit-point geology across the representative hills includes volcanic rock and granite, gneiss or gabbro; moisture response can therefore vary substantially 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.
Updated 30 August 2026 at 04:40 UTC. See typical weekly and monthly conditions for Northumberland and Cheviots.