Southern Uplands
The Galloway hills eastward to the Lammermuir hills. The Cheviots (including higher hills within the adjacent Northumberland NP).
Wednesday'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.
Heavy snow and hail showers, isolated lightning
Showery precipitation, often heavy, may merge to become constant for periods. A mix of snow and hail often falling to lower slopes. Risk of very localised thunder and lightning.
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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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.
Heavy snow and hail showers, isolated lightning
Showery precipitation, often heavy, may merge to become constant for periods. A mix of snow and hail often falling to lower slopes. Risk of very localised thunder and lightning.
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
Wednesday 25th March 2026
Last updated
Tue 24th Mar 26 at
3:40PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Widespread hail and snow showers, at times heavy with a risk of isolated lightning. Fewer showers in the N Pennines and southeast Scotland for a few morning hours, but returning afternoon. Gales widespread as well with sudden strong gusts, easing only slightly in Scotland. Cold, staying below freezing above 500-600m.
Headline for Southern Uplands
Frequent snow and hail showers, most west; gales
How windy? (On the summits)
Northwesterly 30 to 45mph, varying speeds with squally gusts around showers, gusts reaching up to 50mph.
Effect of the wind on you?
Walking strenuous with frequent buffeting, in places more arduous over higher exposed terrain with significant wind chill. Beware sudden strong gusts, necessitating additional effort to maintain stability.
How Wet?
Frequent snow and hail west, later more frequent east
Showery snow and hail falling to lower slopes, most frequent in Galloway, locally more constant for periods. Showers forming more widely with time; chance of isolated thunder & lightning. Showers well scattered in the east until the afternoon when they become more frequent.
Cloud on the hills?
Mostly high western tops, varying
Cloud base frequently changing, likely to come and go over tops mainly in Galloway above 700-800m, lower patches in showers. Elsewhere only briefly on tops.
Chance of cloud free summits?
50%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Bursts of bright sunshine, most common Borders and Cheviots in the morning. Visibility intermittently very good, but appalling at times in showers with brief whiteout over tops.
How Cold? (at 750m)
-1 or -2C, slight rise into afternoon, locally to 0C. Wind chill feeling like -15C or colder on high tops.
Freezing Level
500m from dawn, lifting to 600-700m, slightly higher away from showers.
Viewing Forecast For
Southern Uplands
Thursday 26th March 2026
Last updated
Tue 24th Mar 26 at
3:40PM
How windy? (On the summits)
Northwesterly 20-30mph, up to 35mph east early. Shifting W'ly and easing, 10-15mph, SW'ly later and restrengthening.
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 move east through afternoon, becoming more frequent and some heavier falls from the west.
Cloud on the hills?
Mostly high west terrain, later spreads 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.
Chance of cloud free summits?
80%, lowering to 20% from the west
Sunshine and air clarity?
Bright sunshine early, high cloud gradually fills in from the west, trending overcast. Excellent visibility.
How Cold? (at 750m)
-2 or -3C, gradually rising, to 0C evening, then several degrees higher overnight. Feeling like -10 to -15C in early wind.
Freezing Level
300-600m, highest west; lower frosts likely too. Gradually rising, sharply lifting above the summits as evening approaches.
Viewing Forecast For
Southern Uplands
Friday 27th March 2026
Last updated
Tue 24th Mar 26 at
3:40PM
How windy? (On the summits)
Westerly 20-35mph, strongest on northern slopes and towards the Central Belt, and perhaps more widely 35mph into evening.
Effect of the wind on you?
Walking strenuous on higher terrain in the north, effects more widespread with time and feeling increasingly 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, some 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 widely 1C, lowering to 0 or -1C 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.
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.