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Met Office Warnings i
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Tick a warning to draw it on the map. Warnings appear up to 6 hours before they come into force. Those are marked Starts in… and drawn with a dashed outline. For all active warnings, refer to the warnings page. For authoritative weather guidance, refer to the Met Office warnings page.
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Met Office Weather Warnings

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

What the list shows. Warnings that matter at the point on the timeline you are viewing. A warning appears up to 6 hours before it comes into force, so you can see what is heading your way while you watch the rain arrive. Until it starts, it is labelled "Starts in…" and drawn on the map with a dashed outline; once it is in force the outline becomes solid.

Using it. Tick a warning to draw its area on the map. Scrubbing or playing the timeline updates each warning's status, and warnings that are more than 6 hours away, or that have already expired, are dimmed. "Full details" opens that exact warning on the warnings page.

For a complete list of all currently active Met Office warnings and detailed outlooks, refer to the warnings page. For authoritative weather guidance, refer to the Met Office warnings page.

About this radar

Live UK weather radar map

This live weather radar map animates real-time rainfall radar for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, updated every 15 minutes, alongside visible and infrared satellite imagery. Press play to watch showers and fronts move, scrub back through the last two days, and overlay Met Office weather warnings, river catchments and surface pressure. It is free and needs no sign-up.

How the UK weather radar works

The rainfall radar shown here is the Met Office 1 km composite, stitched together from the national network of weather radar stations. A fresh frame arrives every 15 minutes, so the map reflects where rain is actually falling right now rather than a forecast. Each radar pixel is colour-coded by rainfall intensity in millimetres per hour, so drizzle and a heavy downpour look clearly different.

What you can see on the map

  • Live rainfall radar: UK-wide precipitation updated every 15 minutes, with up to 2 days of history you can replay.
  • Satellite imagery: visible GeoColour, visible greyscale and infrared channels from EUMETSAT's Meteosat Third Generation satellites.
  • Met Office weather warnings: live rain, thunderstorm, wind, snow, ice and fog warnings overlaid on the map.
  • Surface pressure (MSLP): a pseudo-analysis from the NOAA GFS model showing fronts and pressure centres.
  • Rivers and catchments: hydrological boundaries to relate rainfall to the catchments that feed UK rivers.

Reading the rainfall colours

Rain intensity is measured in millimetres per hour (mm/hr). Light blues and greens indicate light rain or drizzle; yellows and oranges show moderate to heavy rain; reds and purples mark intense, potentially flood-producing downpours. When the radar lights up red over a river catchment, it's worth checking the latest Flood Guidance Statement and Met Office warnings.

Radar coverage and updates

Coverage spans the whole of the British Isles and the surrounding seas, so you can watch weather systems approaching from the Atlantic long before they reach land. The radar refreshes every 15 minutes and satellite imagery every 5 to 15 minutes. Flood-specific overlays such as river catchments focus on England and Wales, where the Flood Guidance Statement applies.

More UK weather and flood tools

Explore the rest of Flood Forecast's live rainfall and flood-risk tools:

Frequently asked questions

How often is the UK weather radar updated?

The rainfall radar is updated every 15 minutes using the Met Office 1 km composite, so you always see the latest rain moving across England and Wales in near real time. Satellite imagery refreshes roughly every 5 to 15 minutes depending on the channel.

Where does the radar and satellite data come from?

Rainfall radar is the Met Office 1 km ODIM H5 composite, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Satellite imagery is sourced from EUMETSAT's Meteosat Third Generation satellites, including visible GeoColour, visible greyscale and infrared channels. Mean sea level pressure is derived from the NOAA Global Forecast System (GFS).

Does the UK weather radar cover Scotland and Northern Ireland?

The radar composite and satellite imagery cover the whole of the British Isles and surrounding seas. Flood guidance and river catchment overlays focus on England and Wales, which is where the Flood Guidance Statement applies.

Can I see where rain is heaviest on the radar?

Yes. Rainfall is shown on a colour scale measured in millimetres per hour (mm/hr). Light blue and green show light rain or drizzle, yellow and orange show moderate to heavy rain, and red and purple show intense or torrential downpours.

Can I replay the last few hours of rainfall?

Yes. Use the timeline at the bottom of the map to scrub through up to two days of recent radar frames, and press play to animate the rainfall. You can choose how much history to show (1 hour up to 2 days) and adjust the playback speed.

Is the UK weather radar free to use?

Yes, the live UK weather radar and satellite map on Flood Forecast is free to use, with no account or sign-up.

Flood Forecast is an independent, experimental tool. For authoritative weather guidance always refer to the Met Office.