Orkney & Shetland weather

Headline:

Dry much of Wednesday. Some sunshine. Cloudy with rain later.

This Evening and Tonight:

Clear spells will be interspersed with scattered showers during the evening. The showers will die after midnight. Strong northwest wind will ease from late evening. Minimum temperature 9 °C.

Wednesday:

Dry with sunny spells until late afternoon over Shetland but becoming cloudy over Orkney. Rain reaching Orkney during afternoon, extending to Shetland in the evening. Southeast winds freshening later. Maximum temperature 14 °C.

Outlook for Thursday to Saturday:

Unsettled conditions with rain, showers and strong winds continue. These conditions will be interspersed with brief drier and brighter spells.

Updated: 17:00 (UTC+1) on Tue 16 Sep 2025

It is likely to be fairly unsettled at first, with areas of rain or showers, most widespread across central, southern and eastern areas, perhaps accompanied by some strong winds. Into next week, a northwest-southeast split is most likely, with some further rain or showers in southern and eastern areas, closest to an area of low pressure, whilst the best chance of longer, drier spells will be towards the north and northwest, where some patchy fog and rural frost are possible. It will also turn colder, as a northerly flow becomes established for a time. Later in the period, more widely drier and settled conditions could develop as high pressure becomes slightly more influential, although probably still with a few coastal showers. Temperatures should gradually return closer to average.

Updated: 15:00 (UTC+1) on Tue 16 Sep 2025

By the beginning of October, confidence is very low in the weather regimes most likely to affect the UK. On balance, slow-moving weather patterns are most likely, with high pressure probably close to the UK at times, at least initially. This should offer some occasional periods of dry weather, but there is always the chance in this type of setup that areas of low pressure nearby could impact parts of the UK, leading to some wetter conditions at times. Temperatures will likely fluctuate either side of, but often close to, average.

Updated: 16:00 (UTC+1) on Tue 16 Sep 2025