Is it raining now in Harrow?
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 Harrow: What You Need to Know
Harrow stands on a hill in north-west London, with Harrow on the Hill and its school and St Mary's Church rising above the town and the Metropolitan line running below. The hill is exposed, and rain arrives from the west and south-west across the open suburbs. That gap closes with a Harrow rain radar, since hyperlocal radar tracks the cell itself rather than smoothing it into a regional figure.
What makes rain hard to predict here is not the frontal bands rolling in from the south-west, which are routine, but the convective storms that grow out of warm ground and city heat. The Chilterns and North Downs help direct where these cells form and travel, and a single storm can drop enough water to overwhelm drainage in minutes even after a forecast called only a chance of showers. Harrow on the Hill lifts showers as they cross the flat suburbs, so the summit and the church can be wet while the lower streets and Wealdstone stay dry.
RainViewer keeps the map over Harrow, England, current with Met Office radar, updating roughly every 5 minutes as new scans come in. The live map shows whether a shower is over Ruislip, crossing the suburbs or already on Harrow Hill, which a forecast for Harrow cannot tell you.
Rain by Season in Harrow
Autumn and winter frontal season (October to January)
October to January is dominated by band after band of frontal rain, with named storms adding wind on top. As the rain keeps falling, the Thames and its tributaries rise, and it is the roads, railways and low-lying streets that feel the effects first. Autumn and winter fronts bring steady rain over the north-west suburbs, and the Brent and the Pinn run high nearby.
Transition months (February to April)
Spring showers cross the suburbs, and walks around Harrow on the Hill and Stanmore Country Park are the plans most often caught. Through February to April, cold showers, hail and sunny spells trade off quickly, and the small, fast-moving showers make this the hardest stretch of the year to forecast. Spring races, park events and weekend sport all carry the greatest exposure during this period.
Summer storm season (May to September)
Summer thunderstorms build over the warm suburbs, and open-air events at Headstone Manor and Harrow School depend on the cell track. Heat builds over the built-up area and thunderstorms produce short, intense rain that floods roads and stations in minutes. Festivals, tennis and open-air events depend on the storm cell's track, which the radar shows before the sky changes.
Why You Need a Rain Radar in Harrow
Harrow on the Hill walkers
The hilltop and the church are exposed to wind and rain. Check the radar for the next dry window and time the climb.
Stanmore Country Park and Bentley Priory visitors
Stanmore Country Park and Bentley Priory are largely open with little shelter. Watch the cell's track and time the walk to miss it.
Metropolitan line and Harrow & Wealdstone commuters
The walk to the Metropolitan line and Harrow & Wealdstone station slow in heavy rain. Watch the cell approach and time the departure around it.
Commuters on the A404 and the M1
The A404, the A409 and the M1 slow in heavy rain, and spray builds at the roundabouts. Check the radar first to see whether leaving now beats waiting.
RainViewer Radar Coverage in Harrow
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 Harrow the map also covers Wembley, Pinner and Stanmore.
Harrow Rain Radar: Frequently Asked Questions
- How does rain affect Harrow on the Hill?
Rain and wind lash the exposed hilltop, and the steep streets around the church get slippery, so walkers and visitors time the climb around the showers. Students watch the sky too. RainViewer shows the shower crossing the suburbs.
- Does rain affect the A404 near Harrow?
Yes, heavy rain slows the A404, the A409 and the M1 approach, and spray builds where traffic bunches at the roundabouts. A quick look at the radar helps before you leave. RainViewer pinpoints the cell, showing whether it is still coming or already clear.
- Does Harrow flood when it rains?
Harrow has surface flooding on low streets and near the Pinn and the Edgware Brook after intense rain, and steep roads shed water fast. Avoid flooded underpasses. The radar shows whether heavy rain is approaching.
- When is the best time to visit Harrow to avoid rain?
May to September is the best window to visit Harrow, with Harrow on the Hill, Stanmore Country Park and Headstone Manor at their best. Summer downpours are brief. A morning look at the radar shows where the dry hours fall.
- Why can it rain on Harrow on the Hill while Wealdstone stays dry around Harrow?
Harrow on the Hill lifts showers as they cross the suburbs, so the hilltop can be wet while Wealdstone in the flat land below stays dry until the band moves through. A forecast covers both places with one number, while the radar map shows the rain crossing Harrow on the Hill and missing Wealdstone.
- What makes the Harrow radar map different from a satellite view?
A satellite view of Harrow shows cloud from above, while RainViewer's radar map shows the rain itself, measured directly by Met Office ground radar. 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. That hyperlocal radar reading is closer to what is actually falling on the street.
- What can I do with RainViewer in Harrow beyond checking current rain?
Set a rain alert on Harrow on the Hill or Harrow & Wealdstone station and RainViewer warns you before rain arrives. That lets you fit in a walk or time the commute. The 2-hour forecast in 5-minute slices shows the next gap, and saved locations track Stanmore and Pinner.
Track Rain in Harrow in Real Time
A walk up Harrow on the Hill and the Metropolitan line commute both depend on a dry gap, and RainViewer shows the next one.
Rain in Harrow arrives in bands from the south-west, and summer storms can appear within minutes.
The forecast says rain in Harrow this afternoon. RainViewer's live hyperlocal radar shows the cell over Ruislip with the hilltop still dry, and that decides when the walk starts.
Track rain in Harrow — 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 up Harrow on the Hill to the minute.
Rain alerts before arrival
Put an alert on Harrow on the Hill. RainViewer warns you minutes ahead, which settles whether to start the walk now or wait.
Direction arrows on the map
Rain reaches Harrow most often from the 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 north-west suburbs, which is the fastest way to judge ground conditions.
Multiple locations
Save Harrow on the Hill, Stanmore Country Park and Headstone Manor and check all three in one look.
RainViewer
