Mountain weather
Mourne Mountains Mountain weather forecast table
Confidence
High for a wet and windy morning then a brighter afternoon Tuesday and for generally mild, unsettled and often windy conditions continuing through into the weekend, but lower for timings of arrival and clearance of more persistent bands of rain.
Mountain weather hazards
Hazards apply at or above 300m, reflecting the more severe conditions which can occur at altitude.
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.
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.
Severe Chill Effect
Wind significantly lowers the ‘feels-like’ temperature relative to the actual temperature, with even moderate winds significantly adding to the chilling effect. Strong winds can result in a severe and debilitating wind chill many degrees below the actual temperature. This effect will be enhanced in rain or wet snow. Without protection, prolonged exposure could result in frost nip or frostbite on exposed parts of the body and/or hypothermia.
Mountain weather forecast
Wet morning, then drier afternoon. Very windy.
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weather (at 700m) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chance of precipitation (at 700m) |
90% | 70% | 30% | 10% | 30% | 10% |
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
40
|
S
48
|
S
62
|
S
66
|
SW
58
|
SW
48
|
| 300m |
S
19
|
S
22
|
S
31
|
SW
37
|
SW
32
|
SW
25
|
| Valley |
S
14
|
S
17
|
S
26
|
S
31
|
SW
26
|
SW
20
|
Wind gust (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600m | 54 | 64 | 84 | 90 | 80 | 67 |
| 300m | 35 | 40 | 55 | 63 | 54 | 44 |
| Valley | 33 | 37 | 53 | 59 | 52 | 42 |
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600m |
9°
|
10°
|
10°
|
6°
|
5°
|
4°
|
| 300m |
10°
|
11°
|
11°
|
9°
|
7°
|
6°
|
| Valley |
11°
|
12°
|
12°
|
10°
|
9°
|
8°
|
| Freezing Level |
3,000m
|
3,000m
|
2,200m
|
1,600m
|
1,300m
|
1,200m
|
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600m |
4°
|
4°
|
4°
|
-2°
|
-3°
|
-4°
|
| 300m |
7°
|
7°
|
6°
|
4°
|
2°
|
1°
|
| Valley |
8°
|
8°
|
8°
|
6°
|
4°
|
4°
|
Additional weather information
Meteorologist's view
Storm force winds across the tops will make any mobility very difficult with a high chance of serious injury.
Weather
A wet start with initially heavy rain soon turning lighter through the morning and clearing around midday or early afternoon. Gales across the summits will strengthen to give storm force or stronger winds by late morning, with a risk of gales to low levels in the afternoon. It will be very wet underfoot with swollen watercourses.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
Little chance at first improving to 40% in the evening.
Low cloud and visibility
Persistent cloud above 300-400m, lifting and becoming patchy above 600-750m in the evening.
Mountain weather information
Weather
Clear or sunny spells and, especially through the morning, occasional showers. Dry with clear spells through the evening.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
Around 60% becoming close to 100% in the afternoon
Maximum wind speed expected
Southwesterly 25-35mph, with gusts around 55mph over ridges and summits.
Temperature
- At 700m Around plus 4 Celsius
- Valley Around plus 5 or 6 Celsius rising to plus 10 or 11 Celsius by day
- Freezing level Above the summits
Low cloud and visibility
Occasional or periods of cloud above 600-750m lifting above the summits for the afternoon. Away from cloud visibility very good or excellent, falling briefly in showers.
Mountain weather information
Thu 11 Dec
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Largely dry with sunny spells, cloud increasing later with occasionally heavy rain spreading east in evening. Strong southerly winds, with summit gales easing. Freezing level above the summits.
Fri 12 Dec
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Overnight rain clearing by dawn to leave sunny spells and just a few showers. Occasionally strong southerly winds turning southwesterly, risk of summit gales later. Freezing level just above summits.
Sat 13 Dec
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Cloudy with outbreaks of occasionally heavy rain. Strong to gale force southwesterly winds, risk of severe summit gales. Freezing levels rising.
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.