Is it raining now in South Queensferry?
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 South Queensferry: What You Need to Know
South Queensferry sits on the Firth of Forth in West Lothian, in the shadow of the three Forth bridges, with the old Hawes Inn beside the shore where the ferry once left for Fife. Rain here can arrive from the west along the Forth or off the North Sea, and a forecast rarely says which. A South Queensferry rain radar shows the real picture, because hyperlocal radar follows the shower's shape rather than reporting a single number for the area.
Because the Grampians and Southern Uplands wring moisture out of fronts crossing from the west, the east coast around Edinburgh stays drier than the west of Scotland. The North Sea still generates its own conditions, though, delivering haar and heavy summer showers on easterly winds with little advance warning, and the river valleys carry that water quickly down to the coast. The Firth of Forth funnels wind and rain along its length past South Queensferry, so a shower can cross the water and reach the bridges before it reaches the more sheltered high street a short climb above the shore.
RainViewer draws the live rain radar for South Queensferry, Scotland, from Met Office data, with real-time rain refreshed on every 5-minute radar update. The live hyperlocal map shows whether a shower is still out over the Forth or already crossing the bridges, which a forecast for Queensferry cannot tell you.
Rain by Season in South Queensferry
Autumn and winter fronts (October to January)
Fronts, named storms and heavy rain on the hills raise rivers such as the Dee, Don and South Esk, and North Sea rain brings cold spells and sleet. Coastal roads, river paths and low-lying streets are affected first, and Storm Babet in October 2023 showed how quickly Angus rivers can rise. Winter storms push wind and rain along the Forth, and the shorefront near the Hawes Inn is the first place to feel it.
Transition months (February to April)
Cold spring showers cross the Forth quickly, and a walk under the bridges is the plan most often caught out. Through February to April, haar, sleet and showers keep alternating, and because sea showers build so quickly, forecasts are at their least reliable. Spring walks and outdoor events carry the most exposure.
Summer season (May to September)
Summer showers are short, and the high street and the shorefront depend on the gaps between them. Average rainfall drops from May to September, but the Grampians can still trigger thunderstorms that drift coastward, and haar occasionally settles without producing any rain. Short dry gaps are what golf, festivals and coast walks depend on.
Why You Need a Rain Radar in South Queensferry
Forth bridges viewpoint visitors
The shoreline paths beneath the rail bridge, the road bridge and the Queensferry Crossing have little shelter, and a shower crossing the Forth reaches them quickly. A radar check before setting out is worth it.
Hawes Inn and shorefront visitors
The shorefront around the historic inn is fully exposed to the Forth, and a shower off the water gives little warning. Watch the cell approach and decide whether to stay out.
High street shoppers
South Queensferry's high street, set back and slightly above the shore, empties fast once a shower moves in off the water. A look at the radar shows how close it is.
Commuters crossing the Forth bridges
Commuters using the road and rail bridges are exposed to whatever crosses the Forth first, and wind as well as rain can affect the crossing. Check the radar first before setting off.
RainViewer Radar Coverage in South Queensferry
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 South Queensferry the map also covers Edinburgh, Dalmeny and Linlithgow.
South Queensferry Rain Radar: Frequently Asked Questions
- How does rain affect a walk under the Forth bridges at Queensferry?
The shoreline paths beneath the three Forth bridges sit right on the water's edge, so a shower crossing the Firth reaches walkers there before it climbs the short slope to the high street above. Photographers and dog walkers both watch the water for the approaching band. RainViewer shows the shower crossing the Forth before it reaches the bridges.
- Does rain affect crossing the Forth bridges near Queensferry?
Yes, heavy rain and wind together on the Forth bridges can slow traffic and cyclists using the crossings, since the open water gives weather nothing to break it. Look at the radar before setting off. RainViewer shows whether the cell is still to come or has already gone through.
- Does Queensferry flood when it rains?
The shorefront near the Hawes Inn in South Queensferry can be affected by a high tide combined with heavy rain and onshore wind, while the high street set back and above the shore usually stays dry. The radar shows whether a heavy band is still crossing the Forth.
- When is the best time to visit Queensferry to avoid rain?
May to September is the best window to visit South Queensferry, with the bridges viewpoint and the shorefront at their most pleasant. Autumn and winter bring the stormiest weather along the Forth. Check the radar in the morning and plan the shorefront walk around the gap.
- Why can it rain on the shorefront by the bridges while the high street stays dry around South Queensferry?
The shorefront beneath the Forth bridges sits right on the open water and catches an approaching shower first, while the high street a short climb above the shore can stay dry for a few minutes longer. A forecast covers both places with one number, while the radar map shows the rain crossing the shorefront by the bridges and missing the high street.
- Can I trust the South Queensferry rain radar more than my phone's default weather app?
The South Queensferry rain radar shows what the Met Office radar is measuring right now, while a phone's default weather app usually shows a modelled forecast instead. Because Met Office dual-polarization radar covers both the coast and the North Sea approaches here, a shower building out at sea shows up well before it reaches Edinburgh or the shore. That hyperlocal difference is why the radar catches a shower a forecast app misses.
- What can I do with RainViewer in Queensferry beyond checking current rain?
Set a rain alert on the Forth bridges viewpoint or the high street and RainViewer warns you before rain arrives. That lets you time a hyperlocal shorefront walk or a crossing. The 2-hour forecast in 5-minute slices shows the next gap, and saved locations track the shore and the high street together.
Track Rain in South Queensferry in Real Time
A walk beneath the bridges and a stop on the high street both depend on a dry gap, and RainViewer shows the next one.
Rain in South Queensferry can arrive from the west or in off the North Sea, and a forecast rarely says which.
A weather app says rain for Queensferry this afternoon. RainViewer's live hyperlocal radar shows the shower still out over the Forth with the high street still dry, which decides whether the shorefront walk starts now.
Track rain in South Queensferry — 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 walk beneath the Forth bridges fits inside the dry gap.
Rain alerts before arrival
Set the alert at the Forth bridges viewpoint, and the warning arrives in time to decide whether to walk the shorefront now or wait for the Forth band to pass.
Direction arrows on the map
Storms usually arrive from the west, across the Highlands, with North Sea showers from the east over South Queensferry, and the arrows show which way each cell is moving.
48 hours of radar history
Check the Firth of Forth approach from the west in the last 48 hours to see how much rain came down.
Multiple locations
Keep the Forth bridges viewpoint, the Hawes Inn shorefront and South Queensferry high street on the same list, each with its own alert.
RainViewer
