Mountain weather
Mourne Mountains Mountain weather forecast table
Confidence
Low for timing of clearer weather on Wednesday afternoon. High for changeable weather to continue for the rest of the week.
Mountain weather hazards
Hazards apply at or above 300m, reflecting the more severe conditions which can occur at altitude.
Gales
Gale force winds (gusts over 50mph) make walking difficult and strenuous with a potential to be blown over by gusts. There is often a marked increase in winds through cols or on exposed ridges and summits. Distances can take longer to cover and compass bearings become harder to follow accurately.
Poor Visibility
Poor visibility presents challenging route finding conditions. Visibility could be significantly less than 50 metres in all directions with few or no visual references, especially on featureless moors or plateaux. Distances become hard to judge and cliff or cornice edges can be difficult to recognise. These conditions require good navigational skills. There is a risk of white-out conditions when mist or fog is combined with extensive snow cover.
Storm Force Winds
Storm force winds (gusts over 70mph) make walking very strenuous with any mobility virtually impossible over exposed ground. Where these conditions occur there is a high risk of being blown over and even standing may be impossible at times with a risk of being blown off one’s feet. Basic tasks such as using a map, eating, putting on extra clothing or communication become extremely difficult away from any shelter.
Mountain weather forecast
Windy with rain in the morning, drier and eventually clearer in the afternoon.
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weather (at 700m) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chance of precipitation (at 700m) |
>95% | 30% | 40% | 40% | 40% | 40% |
Wind direction and speed (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600m |
S
44
|
SW
37
|
S
31
|
SW
28
|
SW
26
|
SW
28
|
| 300m |
S
22
|
SW
18
|
SW
16
|
SW
13
|
SW
12
|
SW
14
|
| Valley |
S
17
|
SW
14
|
S
12
|
SW
11
|
SW
9
|
SW
11
|
Wind gust (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600m | 59 | 51 | 42 | 38 | 35 | 38 |
| 300m | 37 | 31 | 27 | 24 | 21 | 24 |
| Valley | 35 | 29 | 25 | 24 | 20 | 23 |
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600m |
4°
|
5°
|
7°
|
6°
|
5°
|
4°
|
| 300m |
6°
|
7°
|
8°
|
8°
|
7°
|
6°
|
| Valley |
6°
|
8°
|
9°
|
9°
|
8°
|
7°
|
| Freezing Level |
2,400m
|
2,200m
|
2,100m
|
2,000m
|
1,400m
|
1,200m
|
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600m |
-4°
|
-2°
|
1°
|
1°
|
-1°
|
-2°
|
| 300m |
0°
|
2°
|
5°
|
5°
|
4°
|
2°
|
| Valley |
2°
|
4°
|
6°
|
7°
|
5°
|
4°
|
Additional weather information
Meteorologist's view
Widespread upland gales in the morning with gusts reaching 70 mph on the very highest tops. Winds will moderate through the afternoon. Drenching conditions can be expected in wind and rain and making progress will be difficult.
Weather
Overcast in the morning with persistent rain at first, this becoming lighter and more intermittent by mid-morning. Then still rather cloudy with the odd passing shower for the rest of the day. Showers may turn briefly heavy in the afternoon.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
40%, best chance from mid-afternoon
Low cloud and visibility
Poor in widespread hill fog down to 400 metres, this lifting off the hills from mid-afternoon onwards with much improved visibility.
Mountain weather information
Weather
Most of the day will be dry. However thickening cloud will bring a brief spell of heavy rain across the Mournes around mid-afternoon followed by a dry evening. Making progress will be difficult with strong winds and summit gales.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
70%
Maximum wind speed expected
Southeasterly veering westerly later, average speeds 35 mph with gusts to 50 mph
Temperature
- At 700m Plus 5 falling to 1 Celsius
- Valley Plus 4 rising to 9 Celsius
- Freezing level Above summits, falling to 800 metres by evening
Low cloud and visibility
Generally good visibility with only small amounts of cloud above 800 metres for most of the day. Cloud down to 500 to 800 metres will become more extensive as rain arrives in the afternoon.
Mountain weather information
Fri 19 Dec
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Mainly dry with sunny intervals. Windy with strong southwesterly summit winds. Freezing level rising above summits.
Sat 20 Dec
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Strong summit southerly winds and rain will sweep east for a time in the morning. Dry, clear and less windy in the afternoon.
Sun 21 Dec
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Cloudy with a chance of rain and extensive low cloud.
Updated at:
Summit specific forecast
Mountain summit forecast map
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Key
Mountain summits
Other points of interest
Cluster of multiple stations
The Mourne Mountains are a granite mountain range in County Down in the southeast of Northern Ireland, is an area of outstanding natural beauty, and has been proposed as the first National Park in Northern Ireland.