Is it raining now in Chickerell?
Sunny
5 OctNo upcoming precipitation for the next hour.
Last update: 21:00, 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 Chickerell: What You Need to Know
Chickerell is a town on the Dorset coast next to Weymouth, close to the Fleet Lagoon and the western end of Chesil Beach, with the old Rodwell Trail railway path linking it towards the harbour. Rain arrives off the English Channel to the south, and the flat coastal ground gives it a clear run before it reaches the town. That gap closes with a Chickerell rain radar, since hyperlocal radar tracks the cell itself rather than smoothing it into a regional figure.
Frontal rain reaches the south coast up the English Channel from the south-west, and the Isle of Wight, the Downs and the coastline split bands as they move east. Warm sea in autumn adds energy to showers, which can build quickly along the shore while inland areas stay dry. The flat coastal plain around Chickerell and the Fleet Lagoon offers little to slow a shower coming off the Channel, so a band can cross the shingle at Chesil and the town within minutes of first appearing on the coast.
RainViewer tracks Chickerell, England, using Met Office radar scans that refresh roughly every 5 minutes, so the picture stays current. The live map shows whether a shower is still out over the Channel or already crossing Chesil Beach and Chickerell, which a forecast for the town cannot tell you.
Rain by Season in Chickerell
Autumn and winter frontal season (October to January)
Along or across the Channel, Atlantic depressions track through, and named storms bring heavy rain, strong winds and high seas. Effects show first on seafront roads, ferries and coastal paths, and saturated ground under heavy rain raises flood risk in low-lying areas. Autumn and winter fronts push in off the Channel and cross Chickerell with little to slow them, and the Fleet Lagoon and the low ground behind Chesil hold water after repeated bands.
Transition months (February to April)
Cold spring showers cross the coastal plain quickly, and a walk along the Rodwell Trail can turn wet with almost no warning. Fronts weaken and cold showers cross the coast, sometimes with hail. Forecasts struggle because the showers are narrow and quick, and seafront events and spring outdoor plans are the most exposed.
Summer thunderstorm season (May to September)
Summer storms and sea-breeze showers build off the warm Channel and can be over Chickerell within the hour, catching the beach and the lagoon path unprepared. Sea-breeze storms form where warm land meets a cooler sea, and thunderstorms can also drift in from the continent. Beach days, festivals and air shows all depend on the cell track, since a storm can reach the seafront within minutes.
Why You Need a Rain Radar in Chickerell
Chesil Beach and Fleet Lagoon visitors
The shingle bank at Chesil and the lagoon behind it are fully exposed to showers coming off the Channel, with little shelter on the open beach. Keep an eye on the cell and decide whether to walk now or hold off.
Rodwell Trail cyclists and walkers
The old railway path towards Weymouth and Portland is exposed along much of its length. Check the radar before setting out on the ride or the walk.
Commuters on the B3157 towards Bridport
The coast road from Chickerell towards Bridport carries local traffic and slows in heavy rain on the open, flat stretch. Watch the cell approach and decide whether to leave now or wait.
Chickerell village centre shoppers
Shoppers around Chickerell's village centre have little shelter for a quick errand. See whether the shower will pass before crossing the car park.
RainViewer Radar Coverage in Chickerell
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 Chickerell the map also covers Weymouth, Portland and Dorchester.
Chickerell Rain Radar: Frequently Asked Questions
- How does rain affect a visit to Chesil Beach near Chickerell?
Heavy rain crossing the Channel can reach Chesil Beach near Chickerell within minutes, and the shingle offers no shelter once a band arrives. Walkers who check the radar first can time the visit for the gap between showers. RainViewer shows the shower crossing the coastal plain before it reaches the beach.
- Does rain affect the Rodwell Trail near Chickerell?
Yes, the Rodwell Trail near Chickerell is exposed along much of its route towards Weymouth, and a shower crossing the coast can catch cyclists and walkers with little warning. Check the radar before setting out. The live map shows whether the shower is ahead of you or has already moved through.
- Does Chickerell flood when it rains?
Chickerell can see standing water on low roads near the Fleet Lagoon after heavy rain, and the flat ground behind Chesil Beach holds water longer than the higher parts of the town. The shingle bank itself drains through quickly. The radar shows whether a heavier band is still out over the Channel.
- When is the best time to visit Chickerell to avoid rain?
May to September is the best window to visit Chickerell, when Chesil Beach and the Fleet Lagoon see shorter showers than the wetter months. Storms off the Channel can still arrive with little warning in summer. Open the radar in the morning to find the day's dry gap before heading out.
- Why can it rain on Chesil Beach while Chickerell village centre stays dry around Chickerell?
The shingle beach sits directly on the coast and catches the first of any shower off the Channel, so Chesil can be wet while the village centre a short way inland stays dry until the band moves through. RainViewer draws each shower where it actually is, which is why a look at Chesil Beach and Chickerell village centre can give different answers.
- What makes RainViewer different from a normal weather forecast for Chickerell?
A forecast for Chickerell predicts rain with a probability, while RainViewer shows the rain the Met Office radar is measuring right now, with a new frame about every 5 minutes. Covering the south coast, Met Office C-band radar measures precipitation over both the Channel and the land, so a band approaching from the sea shows up before it reaches the shore. That hyperlocal radar view tells you what is happening on your street.
- What can I do with RainViewer in Chickerell beyond checking current rain?
Set a rain alert on Chesil Beach or the Rodwell Trail and RainViewer warns you before rain arrives. That lets you time a beach visit or a ride. The 2-hour forecast in 5-minute slices shows the next gap, and saved locations track Weymouth and Portland together.
Track Rain in Chickerell in Real Time
A walk on Chesil Beach and a ride on the Rodwell Trail both depend on a dry gap, and RainViewer shows the next one.
Chickerell feels rain move up the Channel from the south-west, with the coastline shaping how the band arrives.
A weather app says rain for Chickerell this afternoon. RainViewer's live hyperlocal radar shows the cell still out over the Channel with Chesil Beach still dry, which decides when the walk starts.
Track rain in Chickerell — free Upgrade to Essential for alerts, forecasts, and full radar history
2-hour forecast in 5-minute slices
Slice the next two hours into 5-minute steps and pick the gap for the walk on Chesil Beach.
Rain alerts before arrival
An alert on Chesil Beach arrives while the rain is still on its way, and that decides whether to start the walk now or wait.
Direction arrows on the map
In Chickerell the wet weather tends to come from the south-west, up the English Channel, and the arrows show the track of every shower.
48 hours of radar history
Scroll back over the Channel off Chickerell to see what actually fell overnight.
Multiple locations
Track Weymouth, Portland and Chesil Beach together and compare which one is dry.
RainViewer
