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Active location

Keswick, Cumberland

54.60°N, 3.14°W · ~83m · ☀️ 04:56 – 21:21
Updated 21:38
Temp
14°C
↓ 0.6 / 1hr
Wind
2.2
↓ 0.4 / 1hr
Condition
Partly cloudy
Partly cloudy
Score
5.7
Fair
Activity Score - Hourly Forecast
06:00 · 8.0/10
07:00 · 8.0/10
08:00 · 7.2/10
09:00 · 4.8/10
10:00 · 3.4/10
11:00 · 5.5/10
12:00 · 4.7/10
13:00 · 5.2/10
14:00 · 5.0/10
15:00 · 6.6/10
16:00 · 5.5/10
17:00 · 5.6/10
18:00 · 5.5/10
19:00 · 5.2/10
20:00 · 5.2/10
21:00 · 5.7/10
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
Score Customiser

Set your comfortable range for each variable, then choose how much it matters. The bars on the left update instantly.

0 – 40 mph
0 – 10 mm
0 – 100%
0 – 25°C
Wind 0–40 mph · Med Rain 0–10 mm · Med Cloud 0–100% · Med Temp Off
Using WeatherDuck scores What makes the WeatherDuck default score 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.
✔
06:00 – 09:00
3hr average · 7.7/10
Day Average
5.7/10
From 06:00-21:00 · range 3.4-8.0
Limiting Factors
Windy, overcast day
Across the day, wind removes about 2.7 pts (avg 7 mph, gusts 25 mph); cloud removes about 1.6 pts (avg 82% cover).
Time
Conditions
Condition
Cloud %
Precip mm
Precip %
Temperature & Wind
Temp °C
Feels °C
Direction
Wind mph
Gust mph
Detail
Humidity %
Pressure
Vis km
UV Index
CAPE J/kg
Score
Thu 21 May Fri 22 May Sat 23 May Sun 24 May Mon 25 May Tue 26 May Wed 27 May Thu 28 May
21:00 22:00 23:00 00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 00:00 03:00 06:00 09:00 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00 00:00 03:00 06:00 09:00 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00 00:00 03:00 06:00 09:00 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00 00:00 03:00 06:00 09:00 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00 00:00
 
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy Mainly clear Partly cloudy Partly cloudy Overcast Mainly clear Clear sky Clear sky Overcast Clear sky Mainly clear Partly cloudy Overcast Partly cloudy Overcast Overcast Overcast Mainly clear Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Light drizzle Light drizzle Overcast Overcast Partly cloudy Partly cloudy Partly cloudy Overcast Overcast Overcast Mainly clear Mainly clear Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Partly cloudy Overcast Overcast Overcast Mainly clear Partly cloudy Clear sky Mainly clear Mainly clear Mainly clear Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Mainly clear Mainly clear
77 50 33 54 56 100 48 0 0 100 2 38 69 92 72 100 100 100 39 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 95 88 63 54 70 89 95 87 46 38 100 100 100 100 100 62 96 80 56 44 49 9 37 31 19 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 22 38
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.2 0.1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 10% 5% 5% 5% 10% 5% 5% 5% 10% 5% 10% 10% 10% 5% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 20% 60% 60% 20% 10% 5% 5% 5% 10% 10% 10% 5% 5% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 5% 10% 10% 10% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5%
 
15° 14° 14° 13° 14° 14° 14° 14° 14° 15° 16° 17° 17° 17° 16° 17° 17° 17° 18° 18° 18° 17° 17° 17° 16° 15° 14° 14° 13° 13° 13° 13° 13° 13° 14° 14° 15° 15° 15° 16° 16° 16° 16° 16° 17° 16° 16° 15° 13° 12° 11° 12° 11° 13° 18° 20° 21° 20° 13° 10° 11° 17° 22° 24° 24° 20° 15° 10° 9° 13° 15° 19° 20° 19° 13° 10° 11° 15° 19° 22° 23° 22° 17° 14°
13° 14° 13° 13° 13° 14° 14° 13° 13° 15° 15° 16° 15° 15° 14° 16° 16° 16° 17° 18° 17° 16° 16° 16° 15° 14° 13° 13° 13° 13° 13° 12° 13° 12° 12° 13° 14° 14° 15° 15° 16° 15° 15° 15° 15° 14° 14° 14° 13° 11° 11° 12° 11° 13° 18° 20° 21° 20° 12° 9° 10° 17° 23° 25° 23° 20° 14° 10° 8° 12° 14° 17° 18° 18° 13° 9° 11° 14° 18° 21° 23° 22° 18° 14°
E SSW ESE SSW S S S WSW S SE ENE S SSE SSW S S SSW S S SSW SSW SSE S SSE SSE S SSE SSE S S SW ESE SSE S S S S SSW SSW SSW SSW SSW SSW S SSW SSW S S S S S S SSW SSW WSW WSW WSW WSW S SSW SSW SSW WSW W W WNW NW NW NW NW N N N N NE ESE SSE S S S S S S S
7 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 5 6 11 13 9 9 7 8 8 7 6 7 8 8 6 5 5 5 5 2 3 5 5 6 8 7 6 3 3 5 6 6 6 7 8 7 6 6 4 3 3 3 4 3 5 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 4 5 6 5 2 1 2 2 4 5 5 2 2 3 4 6 8 8 7 6 4
15 8 9 9 9 5 6 10 9 8 12 13 21 25 17 18 15 16 15 14 14 14 15 15 13 11 12 11 11 6 6 11 11 11 15 14 11 8 9 13 14 13 13 15 15 14 13 11 8 6 4 5 6 7 12 13 11 6 3 2 4 5 9 11 11 11 10 5 2 4 9 11 12 10 4 3 5 8 14 17 16 13 11 7
 
86 81 80 82 79 79 80 84 81 81 79 77 73 74 77 73 74 72 70 69 71 72 71 73 73 75 79 84 88 90 90 91 86 85 82 81 78 78 76 70 66 68 70 65 61 62 65 72 80 88 95 97 98 92 78 72 58 55 87 90 93 80 59 54 47 60 78 87 91 78 53 43 39 56 91 95 91 78 64 55 58 68 85 96
1013 1013 1013 1013 1012 1012 1011 1011 1011 1011 1011 1011 1011 1012 1012 1012 1012 1012 1012 1012 1012 1012 1011 1011 1011 1012 1012 1012 1012 1013 1013 1013 1013 1014 1014 1015 1015 1015 1016 1016 1017 1017 1017 1017 1017 1017 1017 1017 1017 1017 1017 1017 1018 1018 1019 1020 1019 1019 1019 1019 1018 1018 1018 1018 1018 1017 1018 1017 1016 1016 1017 1017 1016 1015 1015 1015 1014 1014 1015 1014 1014 1013 1012 1012
22.5 25 25.4 23.2 23.8 23.4 22.2 20.9 22.6 23.2 22.2 24.7 28.3 33 34.1 35.6 35.4 36 36.4 37.2 37.9 36.9 37 36.5 36.4 35.4 33.4 29.3 23.2 15.8 8.3 21.2 26.8 26.6 29.3 30.2 33.4 33.3 34.3 37.9 39.6 37.8 36.9 39.3 40.5 39.8 37.7 32.5 28.7 24.8 21.8 20.6 17.4 20.4 23 24.8 26.7 24.1 16.2 13.6 17.2 22 22 21.7 22.1 24.4 16.3 6.4 2.9 14.1 24.8 27.5 27.5 23.9 15.8 13.5 17.5 23.4 25.6 26 26.2 25.5 23.2 22.4
- - - - - - - - - - 0.2 0.7 1.2 2.2 2.9 4 3.7 3.7 3.6 2.5 1.3 0.7 0.2 - - - - - - - - - - - 0.2 0.5 0.9 1.4 2.2 3.8 4.3 2.7 2.6 2.2 1.5 0.7 0.2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 10 10 20 10 10 10 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 10 0 0 10 30 30 30 40 40 40 40 20 20 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 20 20 30 10 0 0 0 0 90 260 100 80 30 0 0 30 120 140 310 800 260 0 0 290 1350 2190 2640 2640 1830 310
- - 9.5 - 7.7 8.0 9.2 10.0 8.7 8.0 8.0 7.2 4.8 3.4 5.5 4.7 5.2 5.0 6.6 5.5 5.6 5.5 5.2 5.2 5.7 6.2 6.0 - 6.2 7.9 7.9 6.3 6.4 6.8 6.3 6.1 6.2 6.8 7.0 7.2 7.0 5.7 5.8 5.3 5.2 5.3 6.6 6.0 7.2 9.1 9.3 9.3 9.9 9.5 7.8 7.5 8.9 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 8.4 8.1 8.0 8.9 10.0 10.0 10.0 9.6 8.4 8.2 8.9 10.0 10.0 10.0 9.5 7.9 7.1 7.2 7.6 7.9 -
Today - Thursday 21 May

Overcast

Spells of rain most likely in morning and midday. South-southwesterly winds averaging around 6 mph with peaks near 10 mph, gusting to 20 mph. Temperatures range from 12C to 15C with largely cloudy skies.

High / Low
15° / 12°
Rain Total
2.9 mm
Wind (Max)
10 mph SSW
Cloud (Avg)
93%
Pollen
Low (Grass)
Sunrise / Sunset
04:56 / 21:21
UV (Max)
2.7
Tomorrow - Friday 22 May

Overcast

Dry through the day with little or no measurable rain. South-southwesterly winds averaging around 6 mph with peaks near 13 mph, gusting to 25 mph. Temperatures range from 13C to 18C with largely cloudy skies. Watch for moderate uv in brighter breaks.

High / Low
18° / 13°
Rain Total
0.0 mm
Wind (Max)
13 mph SSW
Cloud (Avg)
74%
Pollen
Low (Grass)
Sunrise / Sunset
04:55 / 21:23
UV (Max)
4
Saturday 23 May

Overcast

Patchy precipitation is possible, but coverage looks limited. Southerly winds averaging around 5 mph with peaks near 8 mph, gusting to 15 mph. Temperatures range from 11C to 17C, turning cooler later with largely cloudy skies. Watch for moderate uv in brighter breaks.

High / Low
17° / 11°
Rain Total
0.3 mm
Wind (Max)
8 mph S
Cloud (Avg)
82%
Pollen
--
Sunrise / Sunset
04:54 / 21:24
UV (Max)
4.3
What to wear
Light showers possible.
LayerItemMaterialWhy
Base Moisture-wicking top Merino wool or synthetic — avoid cotton Standard — good practice always
Mid Light fleece Micro-fleece or lightweight synthetic — down OK (light rain only) 15°C — mild, windy insulation
Outer Waterproof jacket Lightweight breathable shell, hood — may not need it all day Light drizzle — 2.9mm forecast
Lower Walking trousers Quick-dry, stretch — WP trousers in pack just in case Light drizzle — trousers should cope
Feet Walking boots Standard boots, good grip on mixed terrain Standard conditions
Extras Hat, gloves, gaiters Pack spare mid-layer, buff/neck gaiter Cool on ridges — extra warmth useful
Essential Recommended
For general guidance based on forecast data — not professional safety advice. Always use your own judgement. BMC layering guide →
Live rain radar
LIVE
Loading radar…
--:--
Light Moderate Heavy
Radar data by RainViewer
Ground
Firm
2.0mm/24h · 11.4mm/7d
Nearest: Keswick Sewage
Stargazing tonight
47/100
Fair conditions. · 🌒 Waxing Crescent 21% illuminated.
UV Index
2.7
Peak 13:00 · Low risk. No protection needed.
Tomorrow UV: 4
Fog & Mist
0%
Low risk
Visibility forecast to drop to 2.9km.
Thunderstorms
None
No thunderstorm risk — stable air.
CAPE: 20 J/kg
Sun & Moon · Next 5 Days
Today
☀️ 04:56
🌅 21:21
16h 24m
🌙 09:15
🌜 02:01
Fri 22
☀️ 04:55
🌅 21:23
16h 27m
🌙 10:50
🌜 02:19
Sat 23
☀️ 04:54
🌅 21:24
16h 30m
🌙 12:19
🌜 02:30
Sun 24
☀️ 04:52
🌅 21:26
16h 33m
🌙 13:42
🌜 02:38
Mon 25
☀️ 04:51
🌅 21:27
16h 36m
🌙 15:02
🌜 02:45
Summits Nearby
Skiddaw 911m · 5.6km
Patterdale 922m · 11.2km
Helvellyn 950m · 11.3km
Cloud Inversion
Forecast available for the next 6 nights.
View inversion forecast →
Freezing Level
3080m
Today's range: 2810m – 3150m
Freezing level at 3080m — above most UK summits.
Air Quality
30 Fair
Air quality is fair — enjoy the outdoors.
PM2.5: 3.4 µg/m³ PM10: 5.5 µg/m³
Tomorrow: Fair
Pollen
Low Grass
Pollen levels are low — shouldn't cause trouble.
Grass: Low
Tomorrow: Low (Grass)
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.

5 Morning Inversion Outlook Forecast source Showing forecast capture for Keswick. 24-hour window per morning (6pm to 6pm)
FRI MORNING
0%
Very Low
No clear window
Low confidence
SAT MORNING
0%
Very Low
No clear window
Low confidence
SUN MORNING
0%
Very Low
No clear window
Low confidence
MON MORNING
0%
Very Low
No clear window
Low confidence
TUE MORNING
3%
Very Low
No clear window
Low confidence
Key Factors What we look for
S1 · Inversion
Warm air sitting above cooler valley air — the essential ingredient for a cloud sea.
S2 · Moist Below
Whether the valley air is damp enough to form and hold cloud.
S3 · Moisture Contrast
A sharp boundary between the cloudy valley and the dry air above it.
S4 · Clear Above
Clear, dry air above the cloud layer — the better this is, the cleaner the summit views.
S5 · Wind Calm
Light winds at low levels to keep the inversion intact and the cloud sea flat.
Duration Bonus
How long the conditions hold — a sustained event gives more time to get above the clouds.
Temperature lid
40%
Valley moisture
38%
Layer contrast
96%
Summit clarity
89%
Wind speed
23%
Duration Bonus
0h
Loading… Drag to see 5 nights
Inversion Chance Heatmap
Excellent 80+ Good 60–79 Moderate 40–59 Low 20–39 Very Low <20
Golden Hour
Today
DARKNESS
DAYLIGHT
04:11
04:36
04:56 Sunrise
05:16
05:41
Golden Hour · 40 min
⛰️
Be at your summit by 04:36
Allow time to set up before the light show begins. Cloud top ~762m.
Inversion Frequency
Illustrative — typical UK pattern
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
~4 proper inversion days per year. Mostly late autumn to spring. WeatherDuck alerts you 7 days ahead.
Atmospheric Profile
Atmospheric profile data for Keswick, Cumberland
Temperature Dew point Wet bulb Calm Moderate Strong
Red line bending right with altitude = the inversion lid (warm air above cool). Teal dew point close to red below the lid = moisture trapped in the valley. Lines diverge above the lid — clear, dry summits above the cloud sea.
Humidity at Pressure Levels
Temperature at Pressure Levels
Anchor Coverage
300 active capture points
Popular hill gateways Mountain regions Spaced coverage
Tonight's Stargazing
Here's what the sky's doing tonight.
47 / 100
Fair conditions Mixed conditions — pick your moments.
🌒 Moon Waxing Crescent 28%
☁️ Cloud Cover 49%
🌅 Moon Times Set 02:01 · Rise 09:15
👁 Sky Clarity 23 km Clear
⏱️ Lunar Day Day 5.2
🏙️ Light Pollution View map ↓
Aurora & Solar Wind NOAA
Live space-weather snapshot.
2.3
Planetary Kp index Very Low
💨 Wind Speed 1 km/s
🧲 Bz -2.0 nT
⚛ Density 397.6 p/cm³
🧭 Bt -3.0 nT
No significant aurora activity expected tonight.
Observed 20:35 UTC · cached 5 min

Stargazing from Keswick tonight is possible but conditions are mixed, scoring 47/100. Partial cloud at 49% may obscure views at times, but clear spells are likely. Moderate moonlight (28% illumination) — brighter stars and planets will be visible, but faint deep-sky objects may be washed out. Looking ahead, Sun night scores best at 76/100.

Nightly Outlook
Swipe or tap a day · cream arc = moon altitude · red dotted = horizon · orange = sun · green band = best stargazing window
🌒
Tonight
Waxing Crescent · 28% illuminated
45 out of 100
✨ Best window 02:51 → 03:51— 1h moonless dark, partial cloud
60° 30° 0° 🌒
▼Moonset 02:19
☀ Sunset 21:21
☀ Sunrise 04:55
182022000204060810
Cloud cover58% avg
100
100
100
77
50
33
54
56
100
48
0
0
100
2
38
69
MoonriseAlready up
Moonset02:19
Peak alt55° @ 18:30
Lunar day5.2
🌒
Fri
Waxing Crescent · 38% illuminated
1 out of 100
✗ No good window— 100% cloud cover all night
60° 30° 0° 🌒
▼Moonset 02:30
☀ Sunset 21:23
☀ Sunrise 04:54
182022000204060810
Cloud cover91% avg
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
95
88
63
54
70
89
MoonriseAlready up
Moonset02:30
Peak alt50° @ 19:00
Lunar day6.2
🌓
Sat
First Quarter · 48% illuminated
50 out of 100
✨ Best window 01:54 → 03:54— 2h moonless dark, partial cloud
60° 30° 0° 🌓
▼Moonset 02:38
☀ Sunset 21:24
☀ Sunrise 04:52
182022000204060810
Cloud cover47% avg
100
62
96
80
56
44
53
55
39
15
2
10
28
41
41
35
MoonriseAlready up
Moonset02:38
Peak alt44° @ 19:30
Lunar day7.2
🌓
Sun
First Quarter · 59% illuminated
76 out of 100
✨ Best window 01:56 → 03:56— 2h moonless dark, mostly clear
60° 30° 0° 🌓
▼Moonset 02:45
☀ Sunset 21:26
☀ Sunrise 04:51
182022000204060810
Cloud cover0% avg
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
MoonriseAlready up
Moonset02:45
Peak alt38° @ 20:30
Lunar day8.2
🌔
Mon
Waxing Gibbous · 69% illuminated
72 out of 100
✨ Best window 01:57 → 03:57— 2h moonless dark, mostly clear
60° 30° 0° 🌔
▼Moonset 02:52
☀ Sunset 21:27
☀ Sunrise 04:50
182022000204060810
Cloud cover0% avg
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
MoonriseAlready up
Moonset02:52
Peak alt32° @ 21:00
Lunar day9.2
🌔
Tue
Waxing Gibbous · 78% illuminated
69 out of 100
✨ Best window 01:59 → 03:59— 2h moonless dark, mostly clear
60° 30° 0° 🌔
▼Moonset 02:59
☀ Sunset 21:29
☀ Sunrise 04:48
182022000204060810
Cloud cover0% avg
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
MoonriseAlready up
Moonset02:59
Peak alt26° @ 21:30
Lunar day10.2
🌔
Wed
Waxing Gibbous · 86% illuminated
0 out of 100
✗ No good window— bright moon up most of the night
60° 30° 0° 🌔
☀ Sunset 21:30
☀ Sunrise 07:30
182022000204060810
Cloud cover16% avg
0
0
5
13
23
31
38
MoonriseAlready up
MoonsetPast dawn
Peak alt21° @ 22:30
Lunar day11.2
Swipe / scroll, or tap a day above

Aurora Kp · 3-Day Forecast

NOAA SWPC · 3-hourly
Higher Kp = stronger geomagnetic activity = better aurora chances. For UK observers, Kp 4+ means aurora is possible from N. Scotland; Kp 5+ brings it across the whole UK.
Today
Thu 21 May
◆ Unsettled
Peak Kp 3.0 at 00:00 UTC
Slightly unsettled — minor activity, no aurora expected.
9630
3.0 · 00:00
0003060912151821
Tomorrow
Fri 22 May
● Quiet
Peak Kp 2.7 at 00:00 UTC
No aurora expected — geomagnetic field calm.
9630
2.7 · 00:00
0003060912151821
Sat 23
Sat 23 May
● Quiet
Peak Kp 2.7 at 03:00 UTC
No aurora expected — geomagnetic field calm.
9630
2.7 · 03:00
0003060912151821
Aurora Forecast Map
NOAA OVATION Aurora Forecast
Global — OVATION Model
UK Focus
NOAA OVATION Model • Auto-refreshed
Your Night Sky
Meteor Showers
☄️ Eta Aquariids Active Now
Apr 19 – May 28 · Peak May 6
Best before dawn. Fast meteors.
15
days past peak
Coming up this year
☄️ Delta Aquariids Jul 30
Jul 12 – Aug 23
Steady rates, faint. Best late night.
☄️ Perseids Aug 12
Jul 17 – Aug 24
Bright, reliable. Best summer shower.
☄️ Orionids Oct 21
Oct 2 – Nov 7
Fast, with persistent trains.
☄️ Leonids Nov 17
Nov 6 – Nov 30
Occasional storms. Fast, bright.
☄️ Geminids Dec 14
Dec 4 – Dec 20
Best of the year. Bright, multi-coloured.
Earlier this year
☄️ Quadrantids Jan 4
Jan 1 – Jan 6
Strong, short-lived peak. Bright fireballs.
☄️ Lyrids Apr 22
Apr 16 – Apr 25
Sparse, sometimes glowing trails.
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 DRYNESS
—
Search a location
Search a location to compute ground dryness.
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:—
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.

Ground near Keswick is wet following 11.4mm of rain in the last 7 days. Expect muddy trails, boggy ground on plateaux, and potentially swollen streams. Data from the nearest rain gauge at Keswick Sewage.