Is it raining now in Blagdon?
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Last updated: 20:00, 5 Oct 2026
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Rain in Blagdon: What You Need to Know
Blagdon is a village in North Somerset below the Mendip Hills, with Blagdon Lake, a reservoir built for Bristol's water supply, filling the valley just below the village and the Chew Valley opening out to the north. Rain lifted by the Mendips often reaches Blagdon before it reaches the lower ground towards Bristol. This is exactly what a Blagdon rain radar is built for: hyperlocal radar follows the cell in real time instead of averaging it away.
The Mendip Hills rise straight behind Blagdon and lift the air on a south-westerly wind, so the village and the lake below it often catch rain that the lower Chew Valley to the north misses entirely. Rain approaching the West of England from the west and south-west crosses the Severn Estuary, then climbs the Mendip Hills to the south and the Cotswold escarpment to the east. The climb lifts the air, and orographic lift squeezes out extra rain on the slopes that face the wind, leaving the coast lighter and the lee slopes drier than the windward high ground.
The rain map for Blagdon, England, draws on the same Met Office radar network meteorologists use, refreshed about every 5 minutes. The live map shows whether a shower is still on the Mendip tops or already dropping onto Blagdon Lake, which a forecast for Blagdon cannot tell you.
Rain by Season in Blagdon
Autumn and winter frontal season (September to January)
Winter rain on the Mendips fills Blagdon Lake quickly, and the lanes around the village hold water after a run of wet days. Atlantic depressions follow one another across the region from September, when the Met Office starts naming storms. Low ground gets steady frontal rain, while the Mendips and Cotswolds take the heavier totals. River levels and hill roads shift fastest in these months.
Transition months (February to April)
As fronts weaken, showers move in and can turn a dry morning into an afternoon of hail and sun. Because each shower is small and quick, forecasts are at their least reliable, and plans on high ground face the greatest exposure. Cold spring showers cross the Mendip tops fast, and walks along the lake shore are the plans most often cut short.
Summer showers (May to August)
Rain becomes less frequent but heavier in short bursts, and thunderstorms can form over warm ground in the afternoon. Most people plan around the sun and check the radar when cloud builds, which is when the map shows a storm cell's track. Summer evenings by Blagdon Lake depend on short dry gaps between showers building over the hills.
Why You Need a Rain Radar in Blagdon
Blagdon Lake walkers and anglers
The path around Blagdon Lake is fully open to the weather, and the reservoir sits right below the hills that catch the first rain. Check the radar for a shower on the Mendip tops before setting out.
Mendip Hills walkers
The open tops above Blagdon catch a shower well before the village does. Watch the cell approach and decide whether to start the walk or wait it out.
Chew Valley visitors
Visitors touring the Chew Valley and its lakes can see whether a shower over the Mendips will drift their way or stay on the hills.
Commuters towards Bristol
The lanes between Blagdon and Bristol slow when heavy rain runs off the Mendips onto the road. The radar shows whether now is the moment to leave or wait it out.
RainViewer Radar Coverage in Blagdon
RainViewer shows UK precipitation using data from the Met Office, the national weather service, which runs a network of C-band dual-polarization weather radars. The Met Office network also feeds the European OPERA composite, and the RainViewer map refreshes with each new scan, about every 5 minutes. From Blagdon the map also covers Bristol, Wells and Weston-super-Mare.
Blagdon Rain Radar: Frequently Asked Questions
- How does rain affect walks around Blagdon Lake?
Rain that builds over the Mendip Hills reaches Blagdon Lake first, and the open path around the reservoir has almost no shelter once a shower starts. Walkers and anglers both watch the hills above the village for the first sign of a cell. RainViewer shows the shower building on the tops before it drops onto the lake.
- Does rain affect the road from Blagdon towards Bristol?
Yes, heavy rain running off the Mendip Hills can flood the lanes around Blagdon and slow the road towards Bristol. Look at the radar before you join the road. RainViewer shows the cell's position, whether that is still coming or already through.
- Does Blagdon flood when it rains?
Yes, heavy rain on the Mendip Hills can flood the lanes around Blagdon and raise the level behind the dam at Blagdon Lake quickly. The reservoir is built to hold that runoff, but the village lanes feel it first. The radar shows whether more rain is coming off the hills.
- When is the best time to visit Blagdon to avoid rain?
May to September is the best window to visit Blagdon, with Blagdon Lake and the Mendip tops at their most pleasant. Showers are shorter in summer but the hills still catch their share. Check the radar in the morning and plan the walk around the dry gap.
- Why can it rain on the Mendip tops above Blagdon while the Chew Valley towards Bristol stays dry around Blagdon?
The Mendip Hills lift approaching showers and drop the heaviest rain right above Blagdon, so the village and the lake can be soaked while the flatter Chew Valley to the north stays dry. RainViewer draws each shower where it actually is, which is why a look at the Mendip tops above Blagdon and the Chew Valley towards Bristol can give different answers.
- Does the Blagdon radar map work when I'm offline?
The Blagdon radar map needs a connection to pull the latest Met Office scan, refreshed roughly every 5 minutes, so it is not built for offline use. Met Office C-band dual-polarization radars separate rain from hail and wet snow, which matters on the Mendip and Cotswold high ground where showers change type with height. That live, hyperlocal feed is only as current as the last successful update.
- What can I do with RainViewer in Blagdon beyond checking current rain?
Set a rain alert on Blagdon Lake or the Mendip tops and RainViewer warns you before rain arrives. That lets you time a walk around the lake or a drive towards Bristol. The 2-hour forecast in 5-minute slices shows the next gap, and saved locations track the Chew Valley and Wells together.
Track Rain in Blagdon in Real Time
A walk around Blagdon Lake and a drive over the Mendips both depend on a dry gap, and RainViewer shows the next one.
Rain in Blagdon comes in bands off the Bristol Channel, and the gap between two bands is the window that matters.
A weather app says showers for Blagdon this afternoon. RainViewer's live hyperlocal radar shows the cell still on the Mendip tops with the lake shore still dry, and that decides whether the walk starts now.
Track rain in Blagdon — free Upgrade to Essential for alerts, forecasts, and full radar history
2-hour forecast in 5-minute slices
Two hours of 5-minute steps let you time the walk around Blagdon Lake to the minute.
Rain alerts before arrival
Put an alert on Blagdon Lake. RainViewer warns you minutes ahead, which settles whether to start the walk now or wait for the shower to clear the tops.
Direction arrows on the map
Rain reaches Blagdon most often from the west and south-west, so the arrows tell you at a glance whether a cell is heading your way.
48 hours of radar history
The 48-hour history shows what fell on the Mendip Hills above Blagdon, which is the fastest way to judge ground conditions.
Multiple locations
Save Blagdon Lake, the Mendip tops and Wells and check all three in one look.
RainViewer
