Mountain weather
Bannau Brycheiniog / Brecon Beacons Mountain weather forecast table
Confidence
High confidence in overall story but moderate for the extent of the showers on Tuesday. Lower confidence for details of strong winds and heavy rain on Wednesday and later on Thursday.
Mountain weather hazards
Hazards apply at or above 300m, reflecting the more severe conditions which can occur at altitude.
Gales
Gale force winds (gusts over 50mph) make walking difficult and strenuous with a potential to be blown over by gusts. There is often a marked increase in winds through cols or on exposed ridges and summits. Distances can take longer to cover and compass bearings become harder to follow accurately.
Poor Visibility
Poor visibility presents challenging route finding conditions. Visibility could be significantly less than 50 metres in all directions with few or no visual references, especially on featureless moors or plateaux. Distances become hard to judge and cliff or cornice edges can be difficult to recognise. These conditions require good navigational skills. There is a risk of white-out conditions when mist or fog is combined with extensive snow cover.
Strong Sunlight
Harmful UV levels from sunlight increase with altitude giving a greater risk of sunburn and eye damage, even on some overcast days. On breezy days, the cooling effect of wind on exposed skin may disguise any feeling of sunburn until it is too late. If there is snow cover, glare increases the effect of UV rays especially on the eyes. It is advisable to wear sun block, protective clothing such as a long-sleeved top and hat and have good quality eye protection.
Mountain weather forecast
Breezy with showery outbreaks of rain.
| 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weather (at 600m) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chance of precipitation (at 600m) |
40% | 30% | 30% | 30% | 20% | <05% |
Wind direction and speed (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600m |
S
22
|
S
23
|
SW
23
|
SW
19
|
SW
15
|
SW
13
|
| 300m |
S
10
|
SW
14
|
SW
15
|
SW
13
|
SW
8
|
SW
7
|
| Valley |
SE
3
|
SW
11
|
SW
13
|
SW
13
|
SW
7
|
SW
7
|
Wind gust (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600m | 28 | 30 | 33 | 28 | 21 | 20 |
| 300m | 23 | 27 | 30 | 26 | 18 | 17 |
| Valley | 15 | 25 | 28 | 26 | 18 | 16 |
Altitude above mean sea level
| 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600m |
12°
|
12°
|
13°
|
13°
|
11°
|
10°
|
| 300m |
13°
|
15°
|
16°
|
16°
|
13°
|
12°
|
| Valley |
13°
|
16°
|
17°
|
16°
|
14°
|
12°
|
| Freezing Level |
2,900m
|
2,500m
|
2,300m
|
1,800m
|
1,800m
|
1,800m
|
Altitude above mean sea level
| 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600m |
8°
|
8°
|
9°
|
9°
|
8°
|
8°
|
| 300m |
12°
|
12°
|
13°
|
13°
|
12°
|
10°
|
| Valley |
13°
|
14°
|
14°
|
14°
|
12°
|
11°
|
Additional weather information
Meteorologist's view
Winds are likely to be stronger than what is mentioned in the tables, with buffeting over peaks and ridges. Note the potential for hazardous weather on Wednesday.
Weather
A rather cloudy start to the day with a constant risk of showers through the morning. Showers will tend to develop in the east around dawn then the west later in the morning although these will be mainly light and scattered, giving way to brighter skies by lunchtime. Then largely dry in the afternoon, with spells of pleasant sunshine and the odd light shower, mainly in the west. Showers fading by the evening to leave a dry end to the day.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
40% at first rising to 95% by lunchtime.
Low cloud and visibility
Mediocre at height and in any showers this morning, with cloud as low as 300-400m covering summits. The cloud will lift above tops around lunchtime, with visibility becoming good to very good all around.
Recent rainfall
Location: Neuadd (Near Pontsticill)
Altitude: 353m
| Last 24 hours | Last 48 hours | Last 72 hours |
|---|---|---|
| 0.4mm | 20.4mm | 23mm |
Measurement date:
Rainfall data provided by Natural Resources Wales. The Met Office is not responsible for content provided by third parties and may remove this data without warning.
Mountain weather information
Weather
After a dry start, winds soon increasing as Storm Agnes moves across the UK accompanied with outbreaks of heavy rain, perhaps thundery, through the afternoon. Rain turning more persistent into the evening with winds reaching severe gales over peaks.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
60%
Maximum wind speed expected
Southwesterly 35-40 mph gusting up to 60 mph, possibly stronger over the hills.
Temperature
- At 600m Plus 8 rising to plus 12 Celsius.
- Valley Plus 13 rising to plus 17 Celsius.
- Freezing level Above summits.
Low cloud and visibility
Low cloud at times through the morning with bases down to 400 m, lifting higher to above summits briefly though dipping in any heavier rain, especially in more persistent rain later with bases around 600 m. Good to moderate visibilities in any persistent rain.
Mountain weather information
Thu 28 Sep
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Brighter to start with isolated showers but further heavy rain from the southwest later. Very strong southwesterly winds.
Fri 29 Sep
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Rain clearing northeast and turning brighter with scattered showers. Fresh to strong southwesterly winds.
Sat 30 Sep
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Mist and fog clearing to leave a largely dry day with sunny intervals and light southerly winds.
Updated at:
Summit specific forecast
Mountain summit forecast map
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Key
Mountain summits
Other points of interest
Cluster of multiple stations
The Bannau Brycheiniog / Brecon Beacons is a mountain range in South Wales comprising six main peaks, with the highest peak, Pen y Fan, standing at 886 metres.
The summits of each peak form a long ridge with four of the peaks forming a horseshoe shape around the head of the Taf Fechan River which flows away to the south-east. The Bannau Brycheiniog / Brecon Beacons is said to be named after the ancient practice of lighting signal fires (beacons) on mountains to warn of attacks by invaders, or more recently to commemorate public and national events such as coronations or the Millennium.
For ardent mountain climbers, the Brecon Beacons National Park is among the best that Britain has to offer. While it doesn't have some of the headline-grabbing peaks of Snowdonia or the Scottish Highlands, it fits scores of slightly smaller mountains into its relatively compact 519 square mile area. These include the area's highest peak, Pen y Fan, as well as the marginally smaller Corn Du (873 metres). Both offer rather hospitable, anvil-shaped summits to those who reach the top, with plenty of space for rest and photographs, before tackling the descent.