Get a Weather Forecast
Add comment October 5th, 2006
The weather here in the UK is famous in its random nature, and as Autumn / Winter approches the forecast is even more important when planning a day out on the fells.
There are several weather services to use for getting your fix of weather info - here are our favourites:
MWIS
The Mountain Weather Information Service offer quite simply the best forecasts. These are the forecasts you always see in shops and campsite round the lakes, and they focus on the conditions on top of the fells - so wind, temp and visibility is quoted at 750m and they quote maximum values so you know waht you are up against. They are supplied in PDF, and easy to understand, with a detialed forecast for tomorrow issed at 4pm each day, plus shorter forecasts for the following 2 days and a note on the general trends.. Use these if they cover your area:
- The North West Highlands of Scotland
- The West Highlands of Scotland
- Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath
- The Southeastern Highlands of Scotland
- The Southern Uplands of Scotland
- The Cumbrian Fells
- The English Peak District
- The Snowdonia area of Wales
Head on over to MWIS. Please visit the sponsor sites as well, as this service is offered free and has been under threat before.
Metcheck
Metcheck offer a range of excellent forecasts tailored for various outdoor activites via the hobbies button. Mountainering forecasts should be of interest to Fell Walkers - covering areas like Crinke Crags. The forecasts again focus on the weather high up, with peak wind speeds etc etc. They also offer cycling forecasts, with a hand sweat rating and again exellent info on wind levels.
The Beeb
A good fall back is the BBC - offering all the usual forecasts for towns accross the UK. The BBC can be a bit optimistic though - peak temps and average wind, and usually measured in the valleys.
As ever, drop us a comment if you know better.