Mountain weather

Mountain weather

Mourne Mountains

Confidence

Confidence generally high for overall theme, though lower for risk of showers and potential thunderstorms overnight Wednesday into Thursday.

Mountain hazards

Mountain weather hazards

Hazards apply at or above 300m, reflecting the more severe conditions which can occur at altitude.

Strong Sunlight
Harmful UV levels from sunlight increase with altitude giving a greater risk of sunburn and eye damage, even on some overcast days. On breezy days, the cooling effect of wind on exposed skin may disguise any feeling of sunburn until it is too late. If there is snow cover, glare increases the effect of UV rays especially on the eyes. It is advisable to wear sun block, protective clothing such as a long-sleeved top and hat and have good quality eye protection.

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.
Thunderstorms
Lightning is a significant mountain hazard which can result in serious injury or death. Mountain terrain often leaves one highly exposed to lightning strikes. Hail may give unpleasant conditions with torrential rain and localised flash flooding also possible, mainly in Summer months.

Mountain weather forecast

Isolated showers to begin, clearing by the morning to a generally warm and dry day with sunny spells. Fresh south easterly winds.

Time
Time
06:00
09:00
12:00
15:00
18:00
21:00
Weather
(at 800m)
Weather symbols Sunny intervals Sunny intervals Sunny intervals Sunny intervals Cloudy Cloudy
Chance of
precipitation
(at 800m)
Chance of precipitation
20%
10%
<5%
<5%
10%
20%

Wind direction and speed

Altitude above mean sea level
Time
Time
06:00
09:00
12:00
15:00
18:00
21:00
600m
600m SE 31mph knots
SE
31mph
SE 22mph knots
SE
22mph
SE 22mph knots
SE
22mph
S 22mph knots
S
22mph
SW 20mph knots
SW
20mph
W 22mph knots
W
22mph
300m
300m E 13mph knots
E
13mph
SE 11mph knots
SE
11mph
SE 11mph knots
SE
11mph
S 11mph knots
S
11mph
SW 5mph knots
SW
5mph
W 10mph knots
W
10mph
Valley
Valley E 9mph knots
E
9mph
SE 10mph knots
SE
10mph
SE 10mph knots
SE
10mph
S 9mph knots
S
9mph
SW 3mph knots
SW
3mph
W 8mph knots
W
8mph

Wind gust

Altitude above mean sea level
Time
Time
06:00
09:00
12:00
15:00
18:00
21:00
600m
600m 43mph 29mph 28mph 29mph 27mph 31mph
300m
300m 23mph 18mph 17mph 17mph 11mph 20mph
Valley
Valley 22mph 17mph 16mph 17mph 10mph 19mph

Altitude above mean sea level
Time
Time
06:00
09:00
12:00
15:00
18:00
21:00
600m
600m 7 degrees Celsius 8 degrees Celsius 9 degrees Celsius 9 degrees Celsius 10 degrees Celsius 9 degrees Celsius
300m
300m 10 degrees Celsius 12 degrees Celsius 14 degrees Celsius 13 degrees Celsius 14 degrees Celsius 13 degrees Celsius
Valley
Valley 12 degrees Celsius 14 degrees Celsius 15 degrees Celsius 15 degrees Celsius 15 degrees Celsius 15 degrees Celsius
Freezing Level Freezing Level
3000m
2600m
2500m
2600m
2300m
2300m

Additional weather information

Meteorologist's view

Warm temperatures bring a risk of dehydration and heat stress, especially on long climbs, and high UV levels will require suitable protection from the sun.

Weather

Largely dry, bright and warm through the day. Chance of the odd shower in the early morning, perhaps thundery. Cloudier with the odd shower possible in the late evening, with cloud falling at times.

Chance of cloud-free hill tops

70% or higher by day, falling to 40% through evening.

Low cloud and visibility

Summits clear and good visibilities through much of the day, but perhaps falling moderate should any showers pass through in the early morning. Areas of cloud down to 300-500m spread into the west of the region in the evening.

Ground conditions

No recent ground conditions report available.

Summit specific forecast