Is it raining now in Potters Bar?
Sunny
5 OctNo upcoming precipitation for the next hour.
Last updated: 20:00, 5 Oct 2026
Free to download * Essential from $0.83 * Prices vary by region and promotions.
- App Only
Track up to 20 locations
Home, office, kids' school - all at once, no switching tabs.
- App Only
Alerts for each of them
Get notified 15 minutes before rain - while you can still change your plans.
- App Only
Widgets on your home screen
Live radar without opening the app - on your lock screen or home screen.
Rain in Potters Bar: What You Need to Know
Potters Bar sits just inside Hertfordshire on the northern edge of London, where the old Great North Road runs through the town and open green belt land, including Trent Park, stretches away to the south. Rain here arrives in bands from the south-west or builds as summer storms over the warm built-up edge of the city. That is where a Potters Bar rain radar helps most, since hyperlocal radar reads the live position of the rain instead of an area forecast.
The built-up edge of London just south of Potters Bar can trigger its own summer storms, so a cell that forms over the suburbs can drift north and catch the town while open fields further out stay dry. London and the Thames Valley are low and inland, so rain here is a mix of frontal bands from the south-west and convective storms that grow over warm ground. The urban heat island adds energy over the built-up area, and storms can stall over one borough while the next stays dry.
RainViewer's map for Potters Bar, England, runs on Met Office radar, updating with each new scan so the rain shown is current, not modelled. The live map shows whether a shower is still building over outer London to the south or already crossing the green belt towards Potters Bar.
Rain by Season in Potters Bar
Autumn and winter frontal season (October to January)
Frontal rain arrives in repeated bands through autumn and winter, and the brooks draining the green belt around Potters Bar rise after several days of wet weather. Between October and January, one frontal band follows another, and named storms bring wind alongside the rain. The Thames and its tributaries respond to all that repeated rain by rising, with roads, rail lines and low-lying streets typically the first to be hit.
Transition months (February to April)
Cold showers, hail and sun alternate, and forecasts are least reliable because the showers are small and fast. Spring races, park events and weekend sport are the most exposed. Cold showers, hail and sun alternate in spring, and walks in Trent Park and on Old Fold Manor's grounds are the plans most often caught out.
Summer storm season (May to September)
From May to September, heat builds over the built-up area until thunderstorms break, producing short, intense rain that can flood roads and stations within minutes. Festivals, tennis and open-air events hinge on which way a storm cell tracks, which radar reveals before the sky itself does. Summer storms can form quickly over the warm edge of the city and catch outdoor plans within minutes.
Why You Need a Rain Radar in Potters Bar
Walkers in Trent Park
Trent Park's open parkland just south of Potters Bar has little shelter away from the treeline. Watch the shower approach on the radar and decide whether to start the walk or wait.
Commuters on the A1000 and the M25
The old Great North Road and the M25 near Potters Bar slow in heavy rain, and spray builds fast at the junctions. Look at the radar to decide between heading out now and holding back.
Golfers at Old Fold Manor
The golf course at Old Fold Manor is fully exposed, and a summer storm can build over the city and reach the course within the hour. Check the radar before teeing off.
Rail commuters at Potters Bar station
Commuters walking from Potters Bar station into town can time the walk to a break between showers. Check the radar before leaving the platform.
RainViewer Radar Coverage in Potters Bar
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 Potters Bar the map also covers Barnet, Hatfield and Enfield.
Potters Bar Rain Radar: Frequently Asked Questions
- How do summer storms affect Potters Bar?
Summer storms often form over the warm, built-up edge of London just south of Potters Bar and drift north into the town, catching golfers at Old Fold Manor and walkers in Trent Park within minutes of forming. A forecast covering the wider area rarely shows exactly where a cell will track. RainViewer follows the storm from the moment it builds.
- Does rain affect the M25 near Potters Bar?
Yes, the M25 and the old Great North Road through Potters Bar slow in heavy rain, and spray builds fast where traffic bunches at the junctions. Check the radar before heading out. RainViewer shows the cell's position, whether that is still coming or already through.
- Does Potters Bar flood when it rains?
Potters Bar has surface flooding on low roads after intense rain, and the brooks draining the green belt around the town can rise after several days of wet weather. Avoid low points in heavy rain. The radar map shows heavy rain forming before it reaches the street.
- When is the best time to visit Potters Bar to avoid rain?
May to September is the best window to visit Potters Bar, with Trent Park and Old Fold Manor at their best. Summer storms can still build quickly over the edge of the city. The radar first thing shows which hours will stay dry.
- Why can it rain on Trent Park while the town centre stays dry around Potters Bar?
Trent Park's open parkland south of Potters Bar sits closer to the built-up edge of London where summer storms often form, so the park can be caught first while the town centre a short way north stays dry a little longer. RainViewer draws each shower where it actually is, which is why a look at Trent Park and the town centre can give different answers.
- How accurate is the Potters Bar rain radar?
The Potters Bar rain radar is as accurate as the Met Office scans behind it, which RainViewer refreshes about every 5 minutes. Dual-polarization radar from the Met Office distinguishes heavy convective downpours from ordinary frontal rain, a distinction that matters in London because it is the convective storms that overwhelm underpasses and flood stations. Hyperlocal radar shows the actual edge of each shower rather than a probability for the whole town.
- What can I do with RainViewer in Potters Bar beyond checking current rain?
Set a rain alert on Trent Park or the town centre and RainViewer warns you before rain arrives. That lets you time a walk or a round of golf. The 2-hour forecast in 5-minute slices shows the next gap, and saved locations track Barnet and Hatfield together.
Track Rain in Potters Bar in Real Time
A walk in Trent Park and a round at Old Fold Manor both depend on a dry gap, and RainViewer shows the next one.
Rain in Potters Bar arrives in bands from the south-west, and summer storms can appear within minutes.
Your weather app says showers in Potters Bar this afternoon. RainViewer's live hyperlocal radar shows the cell still building over outer London with Trent Park dry, which decides whether the round starts now.
Track rain in Potters Bar — free Upgrade to Essential for alerts, forecasts, and full radar history
2-hour forecast in 5-minute slices
The 5-minute steps show whether the round of golf at Old Fold Manor fits inside the dry gap.
Rain alerts before arrival
Set the alert at Trent Park, and the warning arrives in time to decide whether to tee off now or wait for the storm to pass.
Direction arrows on the map
Storms usually arrive from the south-west over Potters Bar, and the arrows show which way each cell is moving.
48 hours of radar history
Check outer London to the south in the last 48 hours to see how much rain came down.
Multiple locations
Keep Trent Park, Barnet and Hatfield on the same list, each with its own alert.
RainViewer
