Southern Uplands
The Galloway hills eastward to the Lammermuir hills. The Cheviots (including higher hills within the adjacent Northumberland NP).
Friday's Forecast
Gale force, walking arduous
Considerable buffeting, walking into the wind will be strenuous on exposed terrain, stronger gusts may knock you off your feet. 40 to 55mph.
Frequent or persistent rain
Steady rain fairly persistent, occasionally heavy, rather wet underfoot.
Poor visibility
Murky conditions with areas of fog shrouding the hills, making navigation challenging. Map and compass essential.
Cool to mild
Air temperature 5 to 10C on higher terrain. Comfortable temperatures on lower terrain, but feeling chilly if exposed to wind higher up, especially if stationary. Pack extra layers.
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Gale force, walking arduous
Considerable buffeting, walking into the wind will be strenuous on exposed terrain, stronger gusts may knock you off your feet. 40 to 55mph.
Frequent or persistent rain
Steady rain fairly persistent, occasionally heavy, rather wet underfoot.
Poor visibility
Murky conditions with areas of fog shrouding the hills, making navigation challenging. Map and compass essential.
Cool to mild
Air temperature 5 to 10C on higher terrain. Comfortable temperatures on lower terrain, but feeling chilly if exposed to wind higher up, especially if stationary. Pack extra layers.
Viewing Forecast For
Southern Uplands
Friday 18th September 2026
Last updated
Thu 17th Sep 26 at
4:22PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Already windy with light showery rain over western hills early in the day, but conditions will worsen from the west as gales strengthen and rain / drizzle becomes persistent, some heavier rain; cloud bases lower to widely blanket hills, lowest in west.
Headline for Southern Uplands
Windy, strengthening gales; persistent rain develops, heavy west.
How windy? (On the summits)
West turning southwesterly 35-40mph, briefly less in morning, but then increasing rapidly from west into afternoon to 50mph with gusts 60mph higher tops.
Effect of the wind on you?
Generally strenuous in exposure, deteriorating during day to make walking arduous, in places difficult with considerable wind chill; powerful gusts giving buffeting toward some lower slopes.
How Wet?
Rain develops and sets in from west, some heavy falls
Light showers drift onto west hills in the morning, otherwise largely dry. From early afternoon, rain arrives from the west, spreads east and some extended heavier falls setting in, particularly Galloway to Moffat hills. Continuing rain and drizzle into evening-night. Increasingly wet underfoot, streams rising.
Cloud on the hills?
Breaking above tops, returning widely and lowering afternoon
Cloud mostly above 700m to start, some broader banks west with lower patches. Lifting, breaks above the summits fairly widely for a time, then blanket cloud returns from the west through afternoon, filling in widely to middle slopes.
Chance of cloud free summits?
70%, deteriorating to 10%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Patchy early sunshine, high cloud thickening, trending overcast and dull. Windows of good visibility, a little haze, deteriorating to poor in rain afternoon.
How Cold? (at 750m)
7 to 9C, tending to rise from southwest, up to humid 11C toward evening, then dropping slightly into night. Feeling near or below 0C in direct wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Southern Uplands
Saturday 19th September 2026
Last updated
Thu 17th Sep 26 at
4:22PM
How windy? (On the summits)
Southwesterly 35 to 45mph; risk increasing slightly further later in day and into night.
Effect of the wind on you?
Strenuous-to-arduous walking conditions, frequent buffeting on high exposed terrain. Considerable wind chill.
How Wet?
Showers mostly west
A scattering of showers spreading from the west, most common over Galloway hills. More often dry eastern Borders and Cheviots.
Cloud on the hills?
Most common on western tops
Banks of cloud over higher slopes, most often in the west, base typically 600-700m in west Galloway, but often above 700m elsewhere, good breaks eastward.
Chance of cloud free summits?
40% west, 70% east.
Sunshine and air clarity?
Glimpses of sun west, longer periods of sun Borders to Lothians. Visibility good where dry, slight haze especially west, reduced in showers.
How Cold? (at 750m)
7 to 9C, trending slightly cooler later in the daytime. Feeling like -2 to -5C directly in the wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Southern Uplands
Sunday 20th September 2026
Last updated
Thu 17th Sep 26 at
4:22PM
How windy? (On the summits)
Westerly 45mph early morning, tending to lessen gradually to 25mph, slightly less later in day.
Effect of the wind on you?
Challenging conditions moderating, but still blustery and affecting comfortable walking on exposed tops. Marked wind chill.
How Wet?
Light showers for a time west
A little light showery rain mainly Galloway hills in the morning, fading to be often dry across the region.
Cloud on the hills?
Lifting above the tops
Patchy cloud above 700m, most common in Galloway in the morning. Lifting and clearing above most or all hills.
Chance of cloud free summits?
80%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Broken cloud and sunshine; thin high cloud may thicken later. Visibility very good, early slight haze west.
How Cold? (at 750m)
6 or 7C, little change all day, then tending to rise onward into night. Feeling sub-zero in the stronger wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Planning Outlook
Gale-force southwesterly winds continue extensively on the mountains into Saturday and early Sunday. Frequent rain over western hills, showers passing eastwards, tending to fade during Sunday as higher pressure begins to build from the south, allowing wind speeds to lessen too over England & Wales. Warmer into early next week, though higher humidity brings more cloud some drizzly rain to the west. A generally more promising forecast for late September as high pressure nearby offers drier and warmer weather for more places. Weather systems grazing past Scotland to the north still bring locally stronger winds and occasional rain mainly to the northwest.