Mountain weather

Mountain weather

Northwest Highlands

Confidence

High for a cooler spell with some showers at first then turning drier.

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.

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.
Heavy Persistent Rain
Heavy and persistent rain can lead to drenched clothing and footwear with waterproofs often becoming soaked through, especially if accompanied by strong winds. This can lead to significant loss of body heat and an increased likelihood of hypothermia. Terrain may turn increasingly boggy underfoot while streams can flood and become impassable. There may also be a risk of flooding in valleys or glens. If there is snow cover, a heightened avalanche hazard is possible and avalanche reports should be consulted where available.

Mountain weather forecast

Mainly cloudy with some showers. Light to moderate breezes.

Time
Time
06:00
09:00
12:00
15:00
18:00
21:00
Weather
(at 800m)
Weather symbols Cloudy Cloudy Heavy Rain Heavy Rain Cloudy Cloudy
Chance of
precipitation
(at 800m)
Chance of precipitation
30%
30%
40%
50%
40%
40%

Wind direction and speed

Altitude above mean sea level
Time
Time
06:00
09:00
12:00
15:00
18:00
21:00
1000m
1000m S 9mph knots
S
9mph
E 3mph knots
E
3mph
N 7mph knots
N
7mph
N 10mph knots
N
10mph
E 18mph knots
E
18mph
NE 17mph knots
NE
17mph
900m
900m S 10mph knots
S
10mph
E 3mph knots
E
3mph
N 7mph knots
N
7mph
N 10mph knots
N
10mph
E 18mph knots
E
18mph
NE 16mph knots
NE
16mph
600m
600m S 5mph knots
S
5mph
E 3mph knots
E
3mph
NE 7mph knots
NE
7mph
N 8mph knots
N
8mph
E 12mph knots
E
12mph
NE 11mph knots
NE
11mph
300m
300m S 3mph knots
S
3mph
S 1mph knots
S
1mph
NE 3mph knots
NE
3mph
N 5mph knots
N
5mph
E 7mph knots
E
7mph
NE 4mph knots
NE
4mph
Glen
Glen SW 2mph knots
SW
2mph
SW 2mph knots
SW
2mph
W 5mph knots
W
5mph
N 6mph knots
N
6mph
E 9mph knots
E
9mph
NE 6mph knots
NE
6mph

Wind gust

Altitude above mean sea level
Time
Time
06:00
09:00
12:00
15:00
18:00
21:00
1000m
1000m 12mph 5mph 10mph 14mph 24mph 22mph
900m
900m 12mph 5mph 10mph 13mph 24mph 20mph
600m
600m 9mph 5mph 10mph 11mph 19mph 16mph
300m
300m 8mph 3mph 7mph 11mph 18mph 15mph
Glen
Glen 3mph 3mph 7mph 12mph 18mph 15mph

Altitude above mean sea level
Time
Time
06:00
09:00
12:00
15:00
18:00
21:00
1000m
1000m 3 degrees Celsius 6 degrees Celsius 5 degrees Celsius 4 degrees Celsius 0 degrees Celsius -1 degrees Celsius
900m
900m 4 degrees Celsius 6 degrees Celsius 6 degrees Celsius 6 degrees Celsius 2 degrees Celsius 1 degrees Celsius
600m
600m 7 degrees Celsius 9 degrees Celsius 9 degrees Celsius 9 degrees Celsius 6 degrees Celsius 5 degrees Celsius
300m
300m 10 degrees Celsius 12 degrees Celsius 14 degrees Celsius 13 degrees Celsius 10 degrees Celsius 10 degrees Celsius
Glen
Glen 13 degrees Celsius 15 degrees Celsius 15 degrees Celsius 15 degrees Celsius 13 degrees Celsius 12 degrees Celsius
Freezing Level Freezing Level
1900m
1900m
2000m
2100m
2100m
1900m

Additional weather information

Meteorologist's view

Shower and cloud detail uncertain. Medium UV levels mean sun protection will be required.

Weather

A mainly dry morning with some bright or sunny intervals and the odd light shower. Some heavy showers will break out in the afternoon. The showers becoming light and isolated during the evening.

Chance of cloud-free hill tops

80% falling 30% in north and east and 60% in south

Low cloud and visibility

In morning some cloud at times above 900m, then during the afternoon as winds swing round to the north or northeast, lower cloud at 500-700m feeding into the north and east of the area. Visibility away from cloud occasionally poor in the heavier showers but mainly good otherwise.

Ground conditions

No recent ground conditions report available.

Summit specific forecast