Southern Uplands
The Galloway hills eastward to the Lammermuir hills. The Cheviots (including higher hills within the adjacent Northumberland NP).
Thursday's Forecast
Moderate breeze, locally gusty
A noticeable breeze, feeling cool where exposed on tops. Locally may be gusty, but unlikely to affect walking progress. 15-25mph.
Patchy rain or drizzle
Rain on and off, or generally drizzly - total amounts small, but may be persistently damp, especially where hills are shrouded in cloud.
Cold
Air temperature below 0C all day on higher mountains. Significant chill factor if exposed to strong winds. Suitable protective clothing required.
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Moderate breeze, locally gusty
A noticeable breeze, feeling cool where exposed on tops. Locally may be gusty, but unlikely to affect walking progress. 15-25mph.
Patchy rain or drizzle
Rain on and off, or generally drizzly - total amounts small, but may be persistently damp, especially where hills are shrouded in cloud.
Cold
Air temperature below 0C all day on higher mountains. Significant chill factor if exposed to strong winds. Suitable protective clothing required.
Viewing Forecast For
Southern Uplands
Thursday 26th March 2026
Last updated
Wed 25th Mar 26 at
4:19PM
Summary for all mountain areas
A sunny start, frosty in England and Scotland; freezing levels at middle heights in Wales. Some snow showers north and west Scotland early. High cloud builds from the west; patchy snow and rain arrive afternoon, spread east, and increase in frequency into night. Rain increasingly to higher slopes as temperature rises.
Headline for Southern Uplands
Early sunshine, patchy rain from the west later; cold
How windy? (On the summits)
Northwesterly 20-30mph, strongest in the east, where may reach 35mph over the Cheviot. Shifting westerly and easting, 15-20mph, some stronger gusts through the Central Belt. Orienting southwesterly into evening, strengthening overnight.
Effect of the wind on you?
Walking impeded in exposure early and feeling chilly, some stability challenges in the east. Effects easing to fairly small.
How Wet?
Afternoon patchy rain arrives from west
Patchy rain arrives from the west afternoon, some refrozen rain mixed in upon first arrival. Patches of drizzly rain move east through afternoon, rain increasingly frequent west with a few heavier falls.
Cloud on the hills?
Mostly high west terrain early, lowering and spreading east
Southern and eastern slopes clear through morning. Some patchy cloud affecting the high western slopes and near Central Belt. A deck of cloud fills in over high western terrain afternoon, lowering and spreading east into night, bases as low as 200m west Galloway slopes.
Chance of cloud free summits?
80%, lowering to 20% from the west
Sunshine and air clarity?
Bright sunshine early, particularly east. High cloud gradually builds in from the west, then low cloud too, overcast by evening, though a few bright glimpses far east. Excellent visibility, deteriorating from the west through afternoon in rain and fog.
How Cold? (at 750m)
-2 or -3C, gradually rising, to 1C by evening, then sharply rising into night from the west, +5 or 6C for several overnight hours. Feeling like -10 to -15C in early wind.
Freezing Level
Frost fairly widespread, including valleys, nearer 200-300m west. Rising, 800m later afternoon, the sharply lifting into evening well above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Southern Uplands
Friday 27th March 2026
Last updated
Wed 25th Mar 26 at
4:19PM
How windy? (On the summits)
Westerly 20-25mph; early morning speeds up to 35mph far east. Strengthening later, 30-35mph west and north areas.
Effect of the wind on you?
Nuisance wind, walking impeded in exposure, a deteriorating trend, becoming strenuous late in the day and feeling chilly.
How Wet?
Afternoon showers, mostly west
Some patchy rain around the Solway and Cheviots early, soon clearing. Likely dry for several hours, then showers begin affecting western areas, snow on high terrain, well-scattered further east
Cloud on the hills?
Mostly clear, occasional banks on high terrain
At dawn, a layer of cloud caps the high terrain from the Solway to the Cheviot, this soon clearing south leaving ragged patches of cloud that dissipate with time. The hills then mostly clear, banks grazing high terrain during afternoon showers; east hills may stay clear.
Chance of cloud free summits?
Rising to 80% east, 50% west
Sunshine and air clarity?
Mostly sunny early (except south/east), fair weather cloud building. Good visibility, some haze, and suddenly poor where showers occur.
How Cold? (at 750m)
At dawn, 5C east, to 1C west. Soon 1 to 2C widely, then 0C by dusk. Later, feeling like -10C in wind.
Freezing Level
At dawn, may just touch the summit of Merrick, but elsewhere above the summits. Lowering, 700m by dusk, 800m Cheviot.
Viewing Forecast For
Southern Uplands
Saturday 28th March 2026
Last updated
Wed 25th Mar 26 at
4:19PM
How windy? (On the summits)
Westerly 35 to 45mph, likely strongest in the morning, squally gusts. Gales likely strengthen again into night.
Effect of the wind on you?
Strenuous walking over the hills, frequent buffeting at least in morning. Significant wind chill.
How Wet?
Hail and snow showers
Scattered showers, most common in Galloway in the morning, extending eastwards, mostly brief hail, snow falling in morning to some lower elevations, with time mostly rain below 600m.
Cloud on the hills?
Varied mostly over western tops
Patchy cloud capping higher slopes mostly toward the west in the morning, lifting increasingly above the tops by middle of the day.
Chance of cloud free summits?
40% rising to 80%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Patchwork of cloud and sun, best in east in morning. Visibility often very good, but reduced at times to briefly very poor in showers.
How Cold? (at 750m)
-1C rising to +1 or 2C afternoon. Wind chill feeling like -10 to -15C.
Freezing Level
600-700m in morning, plus frost in sheltered valleys around dawn, rising just above freezing to highest tops afternoon.
Planning Outlook
Thursday starts chilly with clear skies for many, snow then rain moves into western areas with time. Strong northwesterly winds prevail as the weekend starts, brining cooler temperatures and a mix of showers and sun across most areas, the showers likely snowy to middle elevations with some hail mixed in. The cool, spring-like conditions will allow showers to become heavier and more widespread in the afternoon. Sunday into next week sees high pressure southwest of the country, producing drier weather with sun breaks, a trend towards milder temperatures too, but several low pressure systems to the north draw bands of rain eastward, mostly affecting Scotland, occasionally northern England and Wales. A risk of cooler northerly winds re-establishing later in the week, though detail is uncertain.