WEATHERDUCK
WEATHER DUCK

WeatherDuck

Weather Duck

Keswick, Cumberland

54.60°N, 3.14°W · ~83m · Updated 12:32 · ☀️ 06:05 – 20:19
Currently · Overcast · 12°C (feels 10°C)
Fair conditions, with some drawbacks
Wind 9 mph SSW · Gusts 19 mph · Rain from 19:00
4.7
Today's Score
Fair
Best time to head out
06:00 · Past
07:00 · Past
08:00 · Past
09:00 · Past
10:00 · Past
11:00 · Past
12:00 · Past
14:00 · 4.2/10
15:00 · 3.4/10
16:00 · 4.6/10
17:00 · 4.0/10
18:00 · 3.3/10
19:00 · 5.3/10
20:00 · 5.2/10
21:00 · 5.1/10
06:00
09:00
12:00
15:00
18:00
21:00
19:00 – 22:00 looks best
A decent window in an otherwise fair day. Peak 5.2/10, day average 4.4.
Today

Periods of rain overnight, in the morning and in the evening. SSW winds around 9 mph with gusts up to 27 mph. Highs near 13°C, lows around 10°C — rising into the afternoon, then dropping off later. Driest spell looks like the afternoon.

What to wear
Light showers possible.
LayerItemMaterialWhy
BaseMoisture-wicking topMerino wool or synthetic — avoid cottonStandard — good practice always
MidLight fleeceMicro-fleece or lightweight synthetic — down OK (light rain only)13°C — mild, windy insulation
OuterWaterproof jacketLightweight breathable shell, hood — may not need it all dayLight drizzle — 1.9mm forecast
LowerWalking trousersQuick-dry, stretch — WP trousers in pack just in caseLight drizzle — trousers should cope
FeetWaterproof bootsAnkle support, membrane liningGround is wet — muddy paths
ExtrasHat, gloves, gaitersPack spare mid-layer, buff/neck gaiterCool on ridges — extra warmth useful
Week Ahead
Today
13° / 10°
13 / 27 mph
4.7
Sat
12° / 6°
12 / 26 mph
5.7
Sun
10° / 2°
8 / 18 mph
7.7
Mon
/ 2°
15 / 32 mph
4.9
Tue
11° / 4°
16 / 33 mph
4.3
Wed
/ 3°
13 / 26 mph
4.7
Thu
12° / 4°
7 / 17 mph
7.1
Ground
Saturated
4.5mm/24h · 40.1mm/7d
Nearest: Keswick Sewage
Stargazing tonight
31/100
Fair conditions. · 🌑 New Moon 0% illuminated.
UV Index
2.7
Peak 14:00 · Low risk. No protection needed.
Tomorrow UV: 3
Fog & Mist
0%
Low risk
Based on visibility analysis.
Thunderstorms
Slight
Slight thunderstorm risk — isolated showers possible.
CAPE: 250 J/kg
Tomorrow
5.7

A few light showers from overnight into the morning, clearing later. W winds around 8 mph with gusts up to 26 mph. Highs near 12°C, lows around 6°C — rising into the afternoon, then dropping off later. Driest spell looks like the evening.

Sun & Moon · Next 5 Days
Today
☀️ 06:05
🌅 20:19
14h 13m
🌙 05:34
🌜 21:07
Sat 18
☀️ 06:02
🌅 20:21
14h 18m
🌙 05:46
🌜 22:47
Sun 19
☀️ 06:00
🌅 20:22
14h 22m
🌙 06:05
🌜 00:28
Mon 20
☀️ 05:58
🌅 20:24
14h 26m
🌙 06:32
🌜 —
Tue 21
☀️ 05:55
🌅 20:26
14h 31m
🌙 07:20
🌜 01:53
Summits Nearby
Patterdale 922m · 11.2km
Helvellyn 950m · 11.3km
Scafell Pike 978m · 17km
View mountain conditions →
Cloud Inversion
Forecast available for the next 6 nights.
Time
Condition
Cloud %
Precip mm
Temp °C
Feels °C
Direction
Wind mph
Gust mph
Humidity %
Pressure
Vis km
UV Index
CAPE J/kg
Score
Fri 17 AprSat 18 AprSun 19 AprMon 20 AprTue 21 AprWed 22 AprThu 23 AprFri 24 Apr
12:0013:0014:0015:0016:0017:0018:0019:0020:0021:0022:0023:0000:0001:0002:0003:0004:0005:0006:0007:0008:0009:0010:0011:0012:0013:0014:0015:0016:0017:0018:0019:0020:0021:0022:0023:0000:0001:0002:0003:0004:0005:0006:0007:0008:0009:0010:0011:0012:0013:0014:0015:0016:0017:0018:0019:0020:0021:0022:0023:0000:0003:0006:0009:0012:0015:0018:0021:0000:0003:0006:0009:0012:0015:0018:0021:0000:0003:0006:0009:0012:0015:0018:0021:0000:0003:0006:0009:0012:0015:0018:0021:0000:00
Light drizzle Overcast Overcast Overcast Mainly clear Partly cloudy Overcast Light drizzle Mainly clear Partly cloudy Light drizzle Moderate drizzle Overcast Light drizzle Partly cloudy Overcast Overcast Mainly clear Overcast Light drizzle Moderate drizzle Overcast Partly cloudy Mainly clear Partly cloudy Mainly clear Mainly clear Partly cloudy Partly cloudy Mainly clear Clear sky Clear sky Mainly clear Clear sky Clear sky Mainly clear Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Mainly clear Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Mainly clear Partly cloudy Partly cloudy Partly cloudy Partly cloudy Partly cloudy Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Partly cloudy Partly cloudy Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Partly cloudy Partly cloudy Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Overcast Overcast Partly cloudy Overcast Overcast Overcast Mainly clear Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Partly cloudy Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Partly cloudy Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky
100100811004453891039529799883598095408010098866443524749556644130371904100020022485654598089100100100100969077501701660468598100979372519495891018141053959699100100958797965140000
0.2------0.1--0.20.7-0.4-----0.30.7-----------------------------------------0.10.30.40.4---------------------------
12° 12° 13° 13° 13° 12° 12° 11° 10° 10° 10° 10° 10° 10° 11° 11° 12° 12° 12° 11° 11° 11° 10° 10° 10° 11° 11° 12° 11°
10°10°-0°-0°
SSWSSWSSWSSWSSWSSWSSWSSWSSWSSWSSWSSWSWSSWSWSWWSWWSWWSWWWWWNWWWWWWWNWWNWWNWWWWWNWNWWNWWNWNWNWNWNWNNWNNWNENWNWNNWNWNWNNWNNWNNWNWNWNWWNWWNWWWNWWNWNNNNENENENENENENEENEENEENEENEENENENENENEENEENEENEENEENEENEENEEEEEESEESEESE
99111212131311111011675788676101010101010111211111110766445244211146677888654321112712141514131091116161615106610121313138765777544
2019232425272624232222161513171818161614202121212222252624242322171616111013911108654101315161718171614118632126152528322826222125333333322316132026262626181613121617151187
827670636465687176788183818279797981828383827671696358565351506162677177827783818285878581746257575757575961646977879496969689857880828784837763424060849395938575727987858887756360668091
100210021002100210021003100310031003100410041004100410051005100510051005100610071008100810091010101110111012101210121013101310131014101510151016101610161016101610161016101610171017101710171017101710171017101710171017101710171017101710171017101710161016101610161017101810191020101910201020102010191019101910191019101910191019101910181018101910181018101810191018101710161016
23.42525.831.230.63333.335.936.139.340.244.245.446.34849.849.649.248.414.249.447.749.149.945.848.250.953.154.756.154.451.449.648.64946.443.647.944.644.644.241.237.537.539.645.851.745.939.332.726.326.226.12421.819.718.918.217.416.414.413.49.710.49.417.618.411.618.519.513.613.921.62523.220.317.115.616.213.320.31618.38.517.721.721.422.925.225.924.319.317.7
1.42.12.72.11.40.80.2-------------0.20.51.22.22.832.72.21.40.70.3-------------0.20.71.31.92.21.4-------------------------------------------
606090706050402020405030706030406020607070801001102202501801207040202010001020001020201010406060608090908060503020100000010601007030100010608070200001020302010000103040301000
--4.23.44.64.03.35.35.25.13.86.9-6.06.05.45.06.75.75.43.84.65.05.55.15.14.64.24.54.95.66.06.67.17.37.7-8.08.78.08.510.010.09.29.17.56.76.05.55.14.94.95.15.76.47.29.29.810.09.88.99.36.43.72.72.03.04.05.54.54.12.33.53.54.36.27.67.04.93.53.13.03.65.45.96.06.16.67.17.68.38.6-

Over the next 7 days, temperatures near Keswick range from 2°C to 13°C. Strongest winds arrive with gusts of 33 mph. Sunday looks like the best day for outdoor activities, scoring 7.7 out of 10.

LIVE RAIN RADAR
LIVE
Loading radar…
--:--
Light Moderate Heavy
Radar data by RainViewer
ACTIVITY SCORE - NEXT 7 DAYS
FRI
4.7
SAT
5.7
SUN
7.7
MON
4.9
TUE
4.3
WED
4.7
THU
7.1
8+ Excellent 6+ Good 4+ Fair 2+ Poor 0+ Terrible

The Activity Score is a general, weather-based suitability rating for outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, and camping. It uses forecast conditions like wind, rainfall risk, and cloud cover to highlight the most favourable days and time windows.

This score doesn't account for temperature, so layering your clothing is a good idea. Ground and surface conditions are shown separately and aren't included in the score either.

SCORE CUSTOMISER

Set your comfortable range for each variable, then choose how much it matters. Scores update instantly below.

Wind 0 – 40 mph
Rain 0 – 10 mm
Cloud 0 – 100%
Temp 0 – 25°C
CUSTOM HOURLY SCORE
Day00:0003:0006:0009:0012:0015:0018:0021:00
FRI 17th----4.23.43.33.8
SAT 18th6.05.03.84.64.64.25.67.1
SUN 19th8.08.09.16.04.94.96.49.8
MON 20th8.89.25.43.22.41.82.73.5
TUE 21st5.44.43.51.93.23.53.85.6
WED 22nd7.66.54.33.23.03.03.15.1
THU 23rd5.86.06.06.47.07.48.18.5
Your personalised score based on the comfort ranges and impact levels set above. Adjust the sliders to match your activity and preferences.
Understanding the Activity Score

The Activity Score rates outdoor weather conditions from 0 (terrible) to 10 (excellent) for activities like hiking, biking, climbing, and camping.

How it works: Wind speed is the dominant factor — it has the biggest impact on comfort and safety on UK hills. Rainfall risk is secondary: light showers score better than persistent heavy rain. Cloud cover has a light influence. Temperature is deliberately excluded because appropriate layering makes most UK temperatures manageable year-round.

What the scores mean:

  • 8 to 10 — Excellent: Light winds, dry, pleasant. Make the most of it.
  • 6 to 8 — Good: Generally comfortable. Maybe a breeze or some cloud, but nothing to worry about.
  • 4 to 6 — Fair: Passable but imperfect. You might get rained on or buffeted, but it is still walkable.
  • 2 to 4 — Poor: Challenging conditions. Expect strong winds, rain, or both. Only for well-prepared and experienced walkers.
  • 0 to 2 — Terrible: Avoid the hills. Dangerous wind speeds, severe weather, or both.

Use the Score Customiser below to adjust the weighting to match your own activity and preferences.

6-Night Outlook
Fri–Sat
0%
Very Low
Sat–Sun
0%
Very Low
Sun–Mon
0%
Very Low
Mon–Tue
0%
Very Low
Tue–Wed
24%
Low
Wed–Thu
90%
Excellent
Key Drivers & Factor Breakdown · Best Night (Wed night, 90%) · Peak Hour
Moderate inversion detected Saturated below the lid High pressure Strong 8h window (00:00–08:00)
Inversion
100%
Cloud Below
76%
Wind
95%
Pressure
63%
Duration
100%
Time
100%
Data Sources
Keswick 0km
98%
Borrowdale 9.4km
1%
Buttermere 11.3km
1%
Sunrise & Golden Hour
Today
DARKNESS
DAYLIGHT
05:20
05:45
06:05 Sunrise
06:25
06:50
Golden Hour · 40 min
⛰️
Be at your summit by 05:45
Allow time to set up before the light show begins. Cloud top forecast at ~762m.
Tip: sunrise appears ~1 min earlier for every 300m of altitude gained.
UK Inversion Heatmap
Atmospheric Profile · Keswick
Atmospheric profile data for Keswick, Cumberland
Loading…

Use the slider to find the best times for cloud inversions

How to Read the Heatmap

Each dot is a valley settlement scored for cloud inversion potential at the selected hour. Drag the slider to scrub through the forecast — you’ll see scores rise as evening approaches, peak in the pre-dawn hours, then drop after sunrise. Blue and green clusters are where cold air is pooling and cloud is forming. Red and orange mean it’s too windy, too dry, or there’s no inversion. Hit “Best” to jump to each location’s peak score across the whole forecast.

How to Read the Profile

Shows temperature and moisture at different altitudes. For a cloud inversion, look for the red line bending right (warming with altitude) — this is the inversion lid. The teal dew point should sit close to the red line below the lid, meaning moisture is trapped. Above the lid the lines spread apart — dry, clear summits. When all three align, you’ll see a CLOUD INV label. The slider syncs both panels.

  • Red — Temp
  • Teal — Dew pt
  • Purple — Wet bulb
  • Green — Calm wind
  • Amber — Moderate
  • Red — Strong
  • TEMP INV — Warm lid
  • CLOUD INV — Cloud sea

A temperature inversion occurs when a layer of warm air sits above cooler air near the ground, trapping moisture below. In hilly areas like the Lake District, this can fill valleys with cloud while summits remain clear and sunny above a sea of white.

The best conditions are: calm winds, high pressure, clear skies above, and cold valley floors — typically autumn and winter nights.

Cloud Layer & Summits
Cloud Altitude Band
☁️
111m – 762m
Cloud layer 651m thick · Keswick at ~83m (below cloud base)
762m
111m
83m
Nearby Summits vs Cloud Layer
✔️
Patterdale
922m · 11.2km
Above cloud
✔️
Helvellyn
950m · 11.3km
Above cloud
✔️
Scafell Pike
978m · 17km
Above cloud
Inversion Frequency
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Typically around 4 proper cloud inversion days a year, mostly in late autumn, winter and spring.

Cloud inversion conditions near Keswick, Cumberland look promising this week. The best window is Wednesday night between 01:00 and 01:00, with a 76% likelihood score. The cloud base is estimated around 111m, meaning Patterdale (922m) and Helvellyn (950m) should sit above the cloud layer. Key factors: moderate inversion detected, saturated below the lid, high pressure.

Mountain conditions near Keswick

Summit temperatures around 12°C. SSW winds moderate at 13 mph, gusting 27 mph. Ground is wet following 40.1mm of rain in the last 7 days — expect muddy trails. Best window for mountain activities this week: Sunday (score 7.7/10).

Wind Exposure
Fri 13:00
UK Locations
Freezing Level
1690m
Today's range: 1420m – 2210m
Freezing level at 1690m — above most UK summits.
Air Quality
36 Fair
Air quality is fair — enjoy the outdoors.
PM2.5: 3.4 µg/m³ PM10: 9.6 µg/m³
Tomorrow: Fair
Pollen
Low Alder
Pollen levels are low — shouldn't cause trouble.
Grass: Low Birch: Low Alder: Low
Tomorrow: Low (Birch)
Understanding wind exposure on UK mountains

The wind exposure map shows how terrain affects wind speed around your location. Sheltered valleys and lee slopes (the downwind side of ridges) experience significantly lower wind speeds, while exposed ridgelines and summits face stronger winds than the base forecast suggests. Use this to plan your route — approaching a summit from the sheltered side can make a real difference to comfort and safety.

Wind speed guide for walkers:

  • Under 15 mph — Comfortable for most walkers. Enjoyable conditions on the tops.
  • 15 to 30 mph — Noticeable. Take care on exposed ridges and narrow paths.
  • 30 to 45 mph — Difficult walking. Standing upright becomes hard on exposed ground. Consider alternative routes.
  • Above 45 mph — Hazardous. Walking is dangerous on ridges and summits. Seriously consider postponing.

Wind chill adds to the challenge — at 5°C with 30 mph winds, it can feel below freezing. Dress accordingly and carry extra layers.

Tonight's Stargazing
31 / 100
Fair conditions
Moon Phase 🌑 New Moon
Cloud Cover 69%
Moon Illumination 1%
Light Pollution View map ↓
Moonrise · Moonset --
Lunar Day Day 0.8
Fog & Mist Risk None expected
Visibility 46 km
Aurora & Solar Wind Live
1.0 Kp · Very Low
No significant aurora activity expected tonight.
Speed5 km/s
Bz4.7 nT
Density314.9 p/cm³
Bt2.5 nT

Stargazing from Keswick tonight is possible but conditions are mixed, scoring 31/100. Heavy cloud cover (69%) will block most celestial objects. The moon is barely visible, providing excellent dark-sky conditions for faint objects like the Milky Way and nebulae. Looking ahead, Sat night scores best at 91/100.

Nightly Cloud Detail
Tonight 🌑 New Moon · 1% 31 ☁ 69%
Moonrise --
Moonset --
Lunar Day 0.8
Sat 🌒 Waxing Crescent · 3% 91 ☁ 8%
Moonrise --
Moonset --
Lunar Day 1.8
Sun 🌒 Waxing Crescent · 8% 59 ☁ 39%
Moonrise --
Moonset --
Lunar Day 2.8
Mon 🌒 Waxing Crescent · 15% 26 ☁ 72%
Moonrise --
Moonset --
Lunar Day 3.8
Tue 🌒 Waxing Crescent · 24% 67 ☁ 26%
Moonrise --
Moonset --
Lunar Day 4.8
Wed 🌒 Waxing Crescent · 33% 6 ☁ 93%
Moonrise --
Moonset --
Lunar Day 5.8
Kp 3-Day Forecast NOAA SWPC · 3-hourly
Kp forecast data unavailable — NOAA fetch failed or cached data expired.
Aurora Forecast Map
NOAA OVATION Aurora Forecast
Global — OVATION Model
UK Focus
Your Night Sky
Meteor Showers
☄️ Quadrantids Past
Jan 1 – Jan 6 · Peak Jan 4
Strong, short-lived peak. Bright fireballs.
☄️ Lyrids Active
Apr 16 – Apr 25 · Peak Apr 22
Sparse, sometimes glowing trails.
☄️ Eta Aquariids Upcoming
Apr 19 – May 28 · Peak May 6
Best before dawn. Fast meteors.
☄️ Delta Aquariids Upcoming
Jul 12 – Aug 23 · Peak Jul 30
Steady rates, faint. Best late night.
☄️ Perseids Upcoming
Jul 17 – Aug 24 · Peak Aug 12
Bright, reliable. Best summer shower.
☄️ Orionids Upcoming
Oct 2 – Nov 7 · Peak Oct 21
Fast, with persistent trains.
☄️ Leonids Upcoming
Nov 6 – Nov 30 · Peak Nov 17
Occasional storms. Fast, bright.
☄️ Geminids Upcoming
Dec 4 – Dec 20 · Peak Dec 14
Best of the year. Bright, multi-coloured.
Light Pollution Map
Understanding the stargazing score

The stargazing score combines cloud cover and moon illumination to estimate how good conditions are for observing the night sky. Cloud cover is the dominant factor — even the darkest location is useless under heavy cloud.

The Bortle scale measures light pollution from 1 (pristine dark sky) to 9 (inner-city sky). In the UK, the best accessible sites reach Bortle 2 to 3, found in areas like Northumberland International Dark Sky Park, parts of the Lake District, Snowdonia, the Brecon Beacons, and the Scottish Highlands. At Bortle 3, the Milky Way is clearly visible and dozens of deep-sky objects are observable with binoculars.

Moon phase matters: A new moon (0% illumination) provides the darkest sky. A full moon floods the sky with light, washing out everything except planets and the brightest stars. The best stargazing combines a new or thin crescent moon with clear skies.

Practical tips: Give your eyes 20 to 30 minutes to dark-adapt after arriving at your spot. Avoid looking at phone screens (use a red-light torch instead). The hours after midnight are often best, as the atmosphere settles and any remaining cloud may clear.

Ground near Keswick is saturated after 40.1mm of rain in the last 7 days. Waterproof boots essential. River crossings may be impassable. Take extra care on steep, slippery ground. Data from the nearest rain gauge at Keswick Sewage.

RAIN GAUGE STATIONS
Click a station to load history + totals. Or click the map to select the nearest station. Colour key: Green = dry (24h), Blue = wet (24h), Red = delayed · Stations loaded: 0
RAINFALL HISTORY (LAST 7 DAYS)
Bars are 4h totals. Dotted line = station check-in. Red line = current UK time.
Station:
Ref:
Health:
Rain (24h):
Rain (7d):
Last rain:
Last Reading Time:
Points:
GROUND DRYNESS
Search a location
Search a location to compute ground dryness.
Understanding ground conditions

How wet the ground is depends on recent rainfall, soil type, drainage, slope, and season. Even after rain stops, the ground takes time to dry out — and some terrain barely dries at all.

Soil types in the UK uplands:

  • Peat bog (common above 500m in the Lake District, Pennines, and Scottish Highlands) — drains very poorly. Can stay saturated for weeks after heavy rain. Ankle-deep bog is normal.
  • Clay soils (lower valleys and farmland) — slow to drain, sticky when wet. Paths become muddy quickly after rain.
  • Rocky and mineral soils (mountain paths, quarry tracks) — drain well. Can be walkable within 24 to 48 hours of rain.

Seasonal patterns: In winter, the ground is often permanently saturated because low temperatures reduce evaporation. Spring brings gradual drying but snowmelt can keep upland areas wet. Summer is the driest period, though heavy showers can cause flash surface water. Autumn sees increasing saturation as daylight hours and temperatures fall.

Practical advice: Waterproof boots (not trainers) are essential on UK hills in any season except a dry summer spell. Gaiters help on boggy ground. After prolonged heavy rain, stream and river crossings can become dangerous — always have an alternative route planned.