Orkney & Shetland weather

Headline:

Cloudy with showers for Orkney on Sunday, drier for Shetland.

This Evening and Tonight:

Mostly dry with only a few light well scattered showers appearing. Best of the clear spells developing across Orkney. Southeast winds increasing to strong across Orkney towards dawn. Minimum temperature 6 °C.

Sunday:

Shetland mainly dry with occasional brighter spells. Orkney increasingly cloudy with showers which may merge to longer spells of rain for the afternoon. Southeast winds fresh to strong. Maximum temperature 10 °C.

Outlook for Monday to Wednesday:

Monday and Tuesday rather cloudy with brisk southeast winds and occasional light to moderate rain, this focused over Orkney. Wednesday mostly dry with sunny spells and easing winds.

Updated: 16:00 (UTC) on Sat 20 Dec 2025

Continued mostly settled conditions expected, as high pressure builds to the north of the UK. This will bring a strengthening easterly then northeasterly wind over the period, with wind-chill making it feel colder. Whilst there will be a fair amount of dry weather, a few showers will still be possible, particularly across eastern and southern parts which may be wintry in places, more especially over high ground. High pressure will likely dominate the weather in the run up to the New Year, slowly drifting to the west. This will maintain largely settled conditions, although with an increasing chance of showery conditions later in the period. Temperatures will be below average much of the time, with frost likely where clear skies and light winds prevail.

Updated: 14:00 (UTC) on Sat 20 Dec 2025

High pressure will probably be close to the UK at the start of this period, perhaps most likely centered to the west, and whilst this may allow relatively settled and dry conditions with a risk of frost and fog initially, there will be the chance of some occasional wet weather at times, perhaps more especially in the north and east. Given some relatively cold air close to the UK, this may bring the chance of some wintry hazards in places. Towards mid-month, there is the potential for rather more changeable conditions to develop more widely, although confidence in this aspect of the forecast is currently low.

Updated: 15:00 (UTC) on Sat 20 Dec 2025