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 15 October 2026 · The Cheviots and Northumberland's higher hills

Confidence: Medium Why?

Uncertainty over rain amounts and timing. Uncertainty over sky cloud cover and sunshine.

What matters most

A poor day on the tops in Northumberland and the Cheviots, with very strong, gusty winds.

High-ground wind · 600 m35-45 mph westerly Gusts · 600 m50-60 mph Cloud base400-700 m Feels like · 600 m0 to 4°C
Regional median

Sunshine and sky

Extensive cloud. Cloud is likely to remain extensive for much of the day.

Modelled sunshineLess than 1 hour2% of daylight
Early0 h sunshine
Midday0 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 · 08:00–12:00PoorSummit winds around 35-45 mph early in the morning, easing to 25-35 mph later. Gusts around 55-65 mph are possible on exposed ground. Gusts this strong can make walking very difficult and tiring, with a risk of being blown off your feet. Avoid exposed ridges and edges. Rain is forecast on some hills during this period. Cloud may restrict summit views early on. Rain is possible during the morning, but forecast models disagree on whether it will fall.
5
Afternoon · 12:00–17:00MixedWinds ease compared with the morning. Summit winds around 10-25 mph. Gusts around 25-35 mph are possible on exposed ground. Summit cloud is more persistent early in this period, with better prospects later.
62

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 35–45 mph, gusting 50–60 mph, strongest first thing and easing later. Gusts like that are strong enough to make walking very difficult and tiring, with a risk of being blown off your feet. Avoid exposed ridges and edges.

02

Walking impact

Gusts of 50–60 mph are strong enough to make walking very difficult and tiring, with a risk of being blown off your feet. Avoid exposed ridges and edges.

03

Rain and showers

Drizzle at first, clearing by early afternoon. Rain is possible during the morning, but forecast models disagree on whether it will fall.

04

Cloud-free summits

Clear-summit estimate: about 15% early, about 30% around midday and about 90% later.

05

Cloud and visibility

Cloud on the tops early should lift off them by early afternoon. The cloud base could be as low as 400–700 m early in the morning. The air should be clear, so expect far-reaching views whenever the tops come out of the cloud.

06

Temperature and wind chill

At around 600 m it will be 6 to 10°C, feeling like 0 to 4°C in the wind. It turns colder through the day. A windproof and an extra layer for stops will help. 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 07:37, Sunset 18:09, about 10.5 hours daylight.

Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaAcross these hills, a good night for a wild camp: dry, with light winds. 84Good · 600 m View detailsHide details
Regional night beginning Thursday 15 October 2026

Full regional overnight outlook

Across these hills, a good night for a wild camp. Light winds on open ground, gusting no more than about 25 mph. It should stay dry. Overnight lows of about 5°C at 600 m.

Overnight rain0.0 mmOpen ground · 600 m16 mph · gusts 23 mphMorning pack-upDampness possible

Moon overnight

Waxing crescent moon

Illuminated disc
26%
Moonrise
Outside this window
Moonset
19:28 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: 55.478, -2.145. Times vary across the area.

300 m84 · promising
Wind / gust
13 mph / 19 mph
Coldest
5.2°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
Moderate
600 m84 · promising
Wind / gust
16 mph / 23 mph
Coldest
5.1°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
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 & scramblingBetaWet rock is likely. Gusts near 55 mph may affect balance on exposed rock. 0Poor · 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 (0/100). Rain is likely to leave rock wet. Polished slabs, vegetation and drainage lines may be notably worse. Gusts may reach about 55 mph on exposed ground, making crosswinds an important route consideration. 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 surfaceWet rock likelyExposed gust56 mphRain1.2 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.

Does the weather shape your plans?Optional hill-user research. One answer helps; further questions are up to you.Take part

Help the Mountain Decisions Project understand how forecasts influence hill days, including when plans stay the same. Findings will be shared publicly as summaries, not individual responses.

This is about Northumberland and Cheviots on Thursday 15 October 2026. It asks about intentions, not whether you actually went out. No name or account is needed.

Open the questions to take part.

About the research and your privacy · Already been out? Share that experience instead

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 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.