WEATHERDUCK
Active location

Kielder, Northumberland

55.23°N, 2.59°W · ~254m · 06:51 – 19:14
Updated 19:28
Temp
13°C
↓ 0.8 / 1hr
Wind
9.8
↓ 2.9 / 1hr
Condition
Overcast
Overcast
Score
5.7
Fair
Time
Condition
Precip mm
Precip %
Temp
Temp °C
Feels °C
Wind
Direction
Wind mph
Gust mph
Detail
Humidity %
Pressure
Vis km
UV Index
CAPE J/kg
Score
Sun 20 Sep Mon 21 Sep Tue 22 Sep Wed 23 Sep Thu 24 Sep Fri 25 Sep Sat 26 Sep Sun 27 Sep
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 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 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 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
Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Mostly cloudy Mostly clear Clear Partly cloudy Mostly cloudy Overcast Light drizzle Overcast Overcast Light drizzle Light drizzle Overcast Light drizzle Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Light drizzle Fog Light drizzle Moderate drizzle Sunny intervals Sunny intervals Mostly sunny Overcast Mostly sunny Mostly sunny Sunny intervals Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Moderate rain Moderate rain Moderate rain Heavy rain Heavy rain Heavy rain Heavy rain Heavy rain Heavy rain Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Mostly sunny Mostly sunny Clear near sunset Clear Clear Clear Clear Clear Mostly clear Partly cloudy Mostly cloudy Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Moderate drizzle Moderate drizzle Moderate drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Mostly cloudy Partly cloudy near sunset Mostly clear Mostly clear Mostly clear Clear Clear Clear Clear Clear Clear Clear Clear Mostly clear Mostly clear around sunrise Mostly sunny Sunny intervals Sunny intervals Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy Sunny intervals Sunny intervals Mostly clear near sunset Mostly clear Mostly clear Clear Clear Clear Clear
- - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.1 - - 0.1 0.1 - 0.1 - - - - - - 0.1 0.1 0.1 - - - - - - - - 0.1 - 0.1 0.5 - - - - - - - - - - - 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 3.8 3.8 3.8 4.3 4.3 4.3 5.1 5.1 5.1 0.3 0.3 0.3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.2 0.2 0.2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
5% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 15% 5% 10% 20% 20% 40% 100% 40% 40% 100% 100% 55% 100% 40% 35% 35% 35% 35% 40% 95% 95% 95% 40% 35% 35% 35% 35% 35% 35% 40% 95% 55% 95% 95% 40% 20% 15% 15% 0% 0% 10% 20% 35% 35% 40% 95% 95% 95% 95% 95% 95% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 80% 80% 70% 20% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 5% 15% 15% 30% 30% 30% 30% 30% 30% 25% 15% 15% 10% 10% 5% 0% 0% 0% 5% 10% 10% 15% 20% 30% 75% 80% 85% 90% 90% 90% 90% 90% 90% 85% 75% 70% 25% 20% 15% 20% 25% 35% 35% 30% 25% 30% 30% 25% 20% 20% 20% 20% 20% 20% 20% 20% 20% 20% 20% 10% 10% 15% 15% 15% 10% 5% 5% 5% 5% 0% 5% 0% 10% 15%
 
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W W W WNW W W WNW WNW NW NW NW WNW SW SW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW SW WSW WSW WSW WSW SW WSW WSW WSW W W WSW SSW S S SSW SSW SW WSW WSW SW WSW WSW WSW WSW SW SW SW SW SW SW SW SW SW SW SSW WSW WNW NNW NNE NE E ENE NE NNE N NNW NW NW NW NW NW NW NW WNW WNW W W W WSW SW S SSE SSE S S S SSW SSW SSW SSW SSW SSW SSW SSW SSW SSW SSW SSW SSW SSW SSW SSW SSW SW W WNW W W W WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW SW SW SW SW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW SW SW SW SW SW SW SSW SSW SSW SSW SSW SSW SSW SSW SSW S S S S S S S
10 7 7 6 6 5 4 2 2 1 2 1 1 5 8 9 9 9 9 9 8 7 6 7 7 6 6 6 5 6 5 5 4 5 5 5 3 5 6 5 8 8 7 10 8 9 9 7 6 7 7 7 7 7 6 6 5 5 5 4 4 3 2 2 3 5 6 7 9 9 9 9 9 8 8 7 6 4 3 2 2 1 1 1 2 3 5 6 8 10 12 13 14 14 14 14 14 14 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 14 13 11 9 8 8 9 9 10 10 10 10 10 9 8 7 6 6 5 6 6 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 5 6 7 8 9 9 9 8 8 7 7 6 6 6 6 6
22 15 15 13 13 12 10 5 6 6 6 5 5 11 18 19 19 20 18 19 17 15 13 15 16 13 13 12 12 13 12 11 10 11 10 11 8 12 12 11 16 16 15 21 18 19 18 15 13 13 14 14 14 13 13 12 11 10 9 9 8 6 4 4 6 9 13 15 17 19 19 18 17 16 15 14 11 7 4 3 2 2 2 1 2 5 9 13 17 21 24 26 28 29 28 27 26 27 28 29 30 30 30 30 29 28 25 21 18 17 17 17 19 20 21 21 21 20 18 15 13 12 11 10 11 10 10 9 8 6 6 5 6 7 9 12 15 17 19 19 18 17 15 13 13 12 12 11 11 11
 
72 77 80 81 83 82 85 89 89 92 92 94 95 96 96 99 99 99 99 100 99 99 99 99 100 100 99 99 100 100 99 98 99 100 100 99 98 99 100 100 97 93 88 80 78 74 77 84 91 95 95 96 97 97 98 99 99 99 98 98 97 97 98 98 98 98 97 96 95 93 88 82 78 78 81 84 87 90 93 95 97 98 99 100 98 92 84 76 70 64 59 56 53 54 59 67 73 76 78 80 84 89 93 95 95 95 96 96 96 94 92 89 85 80 78 81 86 90 92 92 93 95 97 99 96 97 97 97 98 98 98 97 96 93 89 84 80 76 73 72 71 71 71 72 74 76 80 84 88 92
997 997 998 998 998 998 998 999 998 998 998 998 999 999 999 999 999 999 998 998 998 998 998 998 998 998 998 998 998 998 998 997 997 997 997 997 997 998 998 998 998 998 998 997 997 997 997 996 996 996 996 996 995 995 994 994 993 992 992 992 991 991 991 991 991 990 990 991 991 992 993 993 994 995 995 995 995 995 995 995 995 995 995 994 994 994 994 994 994 993 992 992 991 990 989 989 988 987 986 986 985 985 984 984 984 984 984 984 984 985 986 987 987 988 988 988 988 989 989 989 990 990 990 991 991 991 991 991 990 990 990 990 990 989 989 989 989 989 989 988 988 987 987 986 986 985 984 984 983 983
33.1 29.8 29 28.6 28 28.8 27.3 25.3 25.6 26.5 25 20.3 16.1 13.2 13.2 5.6 3.7 4.7 5.8 1.6 5.6 5.9 5.9 5.8 1.9 2.4 2.6 2.4 1.1 2.3 2.5 8.5 5.2 2.1 1.8 5 9.6 3.6 0.2 2.7 14.9 23.5 25.3 31.4 32.1 34.6 30.9 25.8 20.6 13.6 10.4 7.2 6.7 6.2 5.7 5.1 4.5 3.8 3.2 2.6 2 2.1 2.2 2.3 3.1 3.8 4.6 9.2 13.7 18.3 20.2 22 23.9 23.6 23.2 22.9 21.4 20 18.6 16.1 13.6 11.1 11.2 11.4 11.6 16.1 20.6 25.1 25.7 26.2 26.7 26.6 26.5 26.5 25.7 25 24.3 23.9 23.4 23 17.5 12 6.5 5.7 4.9 4.2 4.3 4.5 4.7 5.9 7 8.2 13.7 19.2 24.7 22.4 20 17.6 17.8 17.9 18 15.3 12.5 9.8 10.9 12.1 13.2 13.5 13.7 14 14.2 14.4 14.7 14.4 14.1 13.8 13.5 13.2 12.9 15 17 19.1 21.1 23.2 25.2 23.9 22.5 21.2 19.8 18.5
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.2 0.4 0.7 0.8 1 0.6 0.8 0.4 0.2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.2 0.3 1 1.7 1.9 1.8 1.2 0.9 0.3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.3 0.7 1 1.2 1.4 1.5 2.3 2.5 2.3 1.7 0.8 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.5 1 1.5 1.8 2.1 2.1 2.1 1.8 1.4 1 0.5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.4 0.9 1.4 1.7 1.9 2 1.9 1.6 1.2 1 0.5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.6 1.4 1.9 2.3 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.2 1.8 1.3 0.6 - - - - - -
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 20 30 20 5 5 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 10 20 20 10 0 0 10 40 50 40 20 10 20 40 50 40 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 10 20 20 10 10 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 10 20 20 10 10 10 10 20 30 40 50 40 30 20 10 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 20 30 50 60 60 60 50 40 30 20 10 10 0 0 0 0
4.8 6.1 6.2 6.6 6.7 6.8 7.2 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 8.8 6.9 5.6 5.3 5.3 5.1 5.4 5.2 5.7 6.1 6.5 6.0 6.0 6.6 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.4 6.8 7.0 7.2 6.9 7.1 6.9 8.8 6.7 6.7 6.7 5.5 5.9 7.3 6.2 6.8 6.5 6.7 7.3 6.5 6.4 6.3 6.1 6.1 6.3 6.5 6.6 6.8 7.0 4.5 4.6 4.7 5.8 5.8 5.8 5.2 3.6 3.0 7.1 6.6 6.3 6.5 6.7 6.9 7.0 7.2 7.5 8.0 8.7 10.0 10.0 10.0 8.8 8.8 8.8 8.8 8.8 7.2 6.4 5.7 4.8 4.2 3.7 3.4 3.2 3.2 3.5 3.6 3.5 3.2 3.0 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.9 3.2 3.6 4.4 5.1 5.6 5.5 5.4 5.4 5.1 4.9 4.8 4.9 5.1 5.5 7.1 7.5 7.8 8.0 8.2 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.4 8.5 8.7 10.0 10.0 10.0 8.7 8.2 7.7 7.3 6.9 6.6 6.6 6.7 7.0 7.2 7.5 7.7 7.8 7.8 7.9 7.9 7.9
Best Activity Window
WeatherDuck score WeatherDuck score Wind matters most. Rain comes next. Sky only nudges it. Temperature is off by default because layers and kit change comfort.
Day average
5.7/10
Windy, dull day
Best window
19:00-22:00
avg 5.7/10
Day average: 5.7/10
Best window: 19:00-22:00 · Avg 5.7
06:00 · Past
07:00 · Past
08:00 · Past
09:00 · Past
10:00 · Past
11:00 · Past
12:00 · Past
13:00 · Past
14:00 · Past
15:00 · Past
16:00 · Past
17:00 · Past
18:00 · Past
19:00 · 4.8/10
20:00 · 6.1/10
21:00 · 6.2/10
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
What this shows
The selected day from 06:00 to 21:00, scored from 0-10. The top line gives the day average and strongest window; the bars show how conditions rise and fall through that activity window. WeatherDuck score — Wind up to 5 mph (matters a lot) · Rain none at all (matters a fair bit) · Sky At least Mostly cloudy (matters a fair bit).
Score Customiser
WeatherDuck score
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These factors shape your score — set a comfy range for each, and how much it matters. Add more from the tray, or remove ones you don't care about. The bars update instantly.

Wind
Comfy range up to 5 mph
How much it matters
matters a lot
Rain
Comfy range none at all
How much it matters
matters a fair bit
Sky
Comfy range At least Mostly cloudy
How much it matters
matters a fair bit
Temperature
Comfy range 0 – 25°C
How much it matters
matters a fair bit
Time of day
Comfy range any time of day
How much it matters
matters a fair bit
UV
Comfy range any UV level
How much it matters
matters a fair bit
Wind direction
Comfy range any direction
How much it matters
matters a fair bit
Visibility
Comfy range at least 5 km
How much it matters
matters a fair bit
Not counted — tap to add
Day briefing

Overcast

15° / 9° · Today · Sun 20

Dry through the day with little or no measurable rain. West-southwesterly winds averaging around 11 mph with peaks near 15 mph, gusting to 32 mph. Temperatures range from 9C to 15C with largely cloudy skies.

0.0 mm
Rain total
15 mph WSW
Wind max
gusts 32 mph
2.2
UV max
peak 12:00
Low
Pollen
Grass
24
Air quality
Fair
Very low
Thunder
CAPE 50
Atmosphere
Cloud avg 87%
Freezing level 1,630 mup to 3,420 m
Fog risk Low
Sun & Moon
06:51 / 19:14
Sun ↑↓
12 h 22 m
Daylight
17:20 / 00:01
Moon ↑↓
Waxing Gibbous
Moon phase
66% lit
Live rain radar
LIVE
Loading radar…
--:--
Light Moderate Heavy
Radar data by RainViewer
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Ground conditions
Is it muddy out there?
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0.4 mm
Last 24 h
27.4 mm
Last 7 days
Measured at Kielder Ridge End rain gauge, 4.2 km away
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Rain gauges and totals stay free for everyone
What to wear
Standard conditions, so dress in layers and pack a waterproof just in case.
LayerItemMaterialWhy
Base Moisture-wicking top Merino wool or synthetic; avoid cotton A good standard choice in most conditions
Mid Light fleece Micro-fleece or lightweight synthetic; down OK today (dry forecast) 15°C with mild, windy insulation
Outer Waterproof (in pack) Lightweight packable shell because UK weather changes fast Always carry because conditions shift quickly
Lower Walking trousers Quick-dry, stretch fabric Dry conditions, comfortable walking
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, so extra warmth will be useful
Pack a backup. Keep one spare layer close.
Wear from the start 4 pieces
Keep in your pack 1 layer
Add before you go Weather protection

Tap an item to see why

Essential Recommended Guidance

Guidance based on the forecast, not professional safety advice. Always use your own judgement. BMC layering guide →

Inversion Outlook Forecast source Met Office Seamless
UKV 2 km with UKMO Global fallback
Likelihood labels describe the model signal, not an exact percentage chance.
Morning 00:00–12:00 · Afternoon 12:00–00:00
Up to two qualifying hours before midnight join the next morning.
North Pennines & Northumberland region
Unlikely
Sunday afternoon BEST
No clear window yet.
SUN AFTERNOON
No clear window
Unlikely
MON MORNING
No clear window
Unlikely
MON AFTERNOON
No clear window
Unlikely
Tap a period for detail
Key Factors What we look for

Our inversion forecast combines five weather factors and how long favourable conditions are expected to last.

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
How long the conditions hold — a sustained event gives more time to get above the clouds.
Temperature lid
0%
Valley moisture
100%
Layer contrast
0%
Summit clarity
0%
Wind speed
0%
Duration
0h
No temperature inversion detected
Valley air moist enough
No moisture contrast, diffuse profile
Saturated above, no clear cap
Too windy, mixing likely
No sustained favourable window
Create Free Account for 1 Alert
Loading…
Cloud Inversion Heatmap About this map A shaded area means several nearby locations agree — amber for possible, green for likely, blue for very likely. The bands always sit inside one another, so stronger signals appear more solid.
The purple dot marks your location.
Drag the timeline to see how the chance changes through the night.
Atmospheric Profile · Kielder · 254 m
Loading… Timeline
Atmospheric profile data for Kielder,GB
Surface Pressure

Humidity at Pressure Levels

Higher humidity means the air is closer to saturation.

Temperature at Pressure Levels

Warmer air above cooler air can indicate an inversion.

All heights shown equally.

Golden Hour
Today
DARKNESS
DAYLIGHT
06:06
06:31
06:51 Sunrise
07:11
07:36
Golden Hour · 40 min
Be at your summit by 06:31
Allow time to set up before the light show begins.
Monthly Inversion Chance
Illustrative relative chance by season
Illustrative — typical UK pattern
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
~2 proper inversion days per year. Mostly late autumn to spring.

Cloud inversions explained

What is a cloud inversion near Kielder, Northumberland?

A cloud inversion happens when cool, moist air becomes trapped in valleys beneath warmer air above. If the trapped moisture turns into fog or low cloud, the hills can rise through it into clearer air and sunshine. From a summit, the result can look like a wide sea of cloud with only the higher peaks visible.

The best chance near Kielder, Northumberland is a calm, settled night with moist valley air, a warm lid above and clearer, drier air over the tops. The bands on this page, from Unlikely to Very likely, describe the strength of that overall signal rather than a percentage promise, so always check timing, estimated cloud height and wind before setting off.

How to read this page. The headline outlook covers the surrounding region. Key Factors and the Atmospheric Profile describe the nearest available atmospheric profile.

Read the full UK cloud inversion guide See how WeatherDuck forecasts inversions
Tonight's Stargazing
16
Very poor conditions Skies look closed in — best to wait it out.
Waxing Gibbous Moon Waxing Gibbous 68%
Mostly cloudy Cloud Cover Mostly cloudy 79%
Moon Times Rise 17:20 · Set 00:01
Sky Clarity 27 km Clear
Lunar Day Day 9.1
Light Pollution View map ↓
Tonight's Aurora
Aurora & Solar Wind NOAA
1.7 Planetary Kp Very Low
Wind Speed 378 km/s
Bz 2.6 nT
Density 2.2 p/cm³
Bt 4.3 nT
No significant aurora activity expected tonight.

Nightly Outlook

Tonight · 20 Sep

Waxing Gibbous · 68% illuminated

15/100
Best window 02:44–05:44 Lower cloud and a low or hidden moon.
Moon height above horizon DaylightGreen = best stargazing hours
18:00–10:00 next morning
Moonset 00:01 Sunset 19:14Sunrise 06:53
Every hour in detail
Hours after midnight are the following morning.
HourCloud coverMoon
18:00 100% Above horizon
19:00 100% Above horizon
20:00 100% Above horizon
21:00 100% Above horizon
22:00 100% Above horizon
23:00 100% Above horizon
00:00 100% Below horizon
01:00 100% Below horizon
02:00 85% Below horizon
03:00 35% Below horizon
04:00 19% Below horizon
05:00 53% Below horizon
06:00 83% Below horizon
07:00 97% Below horizon
08:00 100% Below horizon
09:00 100% Below horizon
Highest moon 9° at 20:40 Lunar day 9.1

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
Sun 20 Sep
Unsettled
Peak Kp 3.0 at 03:00 UTC
Slightly unsettled — minor activity, no aurora expected.
9630
3.0 · 03:00
0003060912151821
Tomorrow
Mon 21 Sep
Quiet
Peak Kp 2.0 at 03:00 UTC
No aurora expected — geomagnetic field calm.
9630
2.0 · 03:00
0003060912151821
Tue 22
Tue 22 Sep
Quiet
Peak Kp 1.7 at 00:00 UTC
No aurora expected — geomagnetic field calm.
9630
1.7 · 00:00
0003060912151821
Aurora Forecast Map
NOAA OVATION Aurora Forecast
Global — OVATION Model
UK Focus
Your Night Sky
Meteor Showers
Coming up this year
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.
Eta Aquariids May 6
Apr 19 – May 28
Best before dawn. Fast meteors.
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.
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 Free with an account

Dry paths or muddy boots?

See how wet the ground is around Kielder before you set off.

Your local ground report

SaturatedBone dry
  • Local ground dryness
  • Moisture below the surface
  • Recent conditions and what’s ahead

Rainfall & rain gauges Nearby observations

Finding a nearby gauge…

Rain in 24h
Rain in 7 days
Last rain

Rainfall over the last 7 days

4-hour totals

Last reading

Observed rainForecast estimateLast readingNow

Nearby rain gauges

Active · dry 24hWet 24hDelayedYour location

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Planning aid, not a safety service. Check official warnings before you go.