Southern Uplands
The Galloway hills eastward to the Lammermuir hills. The Cheviots (including higher hills within the adjacent Northumberland NP).
Thursday's Forecast
Windy, walking impeded
Blustery conditions enough to give buffeting on higher terrain or affect balance on exposed ridges. 25 to 40mph.
Sunshine and showers
A good amount of dry and bright weather, but scattered bursts of rain, some may be locally heavy.
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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Windy, walking impeded
Blustery conditions enough to give buffeting on higher terrain or affect balance on exposed ridges. 25 to 40mph.
Sunshine and showers
A good amount of dry and bright weather, but scattered bursts of rain, some may be locally heavy.
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
Thursday 17th September 2026
Last updated
Wed 16th Sep 26 at
4:00PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Strong westerly winds, gales widely on Scottish mountains; cool air and significant wind chill factor. Showery rain with heavy bursts mixed in most frequent in western Scotland, but tending to extend eastward. Showers develop more often for northern England too. Fewer showers for Wales after early rain clears.
Headline for Southern Uplands
Reaching gale-force on tops, feeling chilly; showers form widely.
How windy? (On the summits)
Southwesterly 35mph strengthening to 40-45mph, strongest northern hills in afternoon with notable gusts too.
Effect of the wind on you?
Walking increasingly strenuous, more arduous on high tops with time, buffeting gusts affecting stability; considerable wind chill.
How Wet?
Showers, most rain afternoon
Showers drift from the west, well-scattered to the east and more often dry east Borders/Cheviots for a time, but showers become more frequent, a few heavier falls, and some extended falls west Galloway later.
Cloud on the hills?
Banks over west summits, later filling in
Cloud patches at varied heights to start, most tops covered, and most extensive Galloway slopes, soon lifting with breaks off summits, summits east of M74 substantially clear. Banks return to tops during showers, mostly west where will fill in more often on tops later.
Chance of cloud free summits?
80% east, 60% west, lowering to 30%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Patchy sunshine, more often sunny east, and later cloudier west. Good visibility, but a building haze west and variably deteriorating in rain.
How Cold? (at 750m)
6 or 7C, rising a degree east, but will reduce again in showers. Feeling like -2 to -5C in strongest wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Southern Uplands
Friday 18th September 2026
Last updated
Wed 16th Sep 26 at
4:00PM
How windy? (On the summits)
West turning SW'ly, 35-40mph, briefly less in morning, but then increasing further to 50mph higher tops afternoon.
Effect of the wind on you?
Generally strenuous in exposure, deteriorating during day to make walking arduous; notable wind chill.
How Wet?
Rain develops and sets in from west
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.
Cloud on the hills?
Breaking above tops, returning widely later
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 20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Patchy sunshine, trending overcast, becoming dull west. Windows of good visibility, a little haze, deteriorating to poor in rain afternoon.
How Cold? (at 750m)
7 to 9C, trending higher and rising further into evening/night. Feeling like 0C in direct wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Southern Uplands
Saturday 19th September 2026
Last updated
Wed 16th Sep 26 at
4:00PM
How windy? (On the summits)
Southwesterly 35 to 45mph.
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 or 8C, trending slightly cooler later in the daytime. Feeling like -2 to -5C directly in the wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Planning Outlook
Sustained gale-force winds continue extensively on the mountains into the weekend, southwesterly turning westerly with time. 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.