Is it raining now in Newquay?
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 Newquay: What You Need to Know
Newquay sits on Cornwall's north Atlantic coast, where Fistral Beach and the old harbour face straight into incoming swell and weather alike. Showers arrive off the sea with little warning, and a dry headland can turn wet within minutes while the next bay stays clear. Pulling up a Newquay rain radar clears this up quickly, as hyperlocal radar shows the rain's real position rather than a general outlook.
Atlantic showers reach Newquay's exposed north coast fast, and the headland between Fistral and the harbour can split a band so one beach gets it while the other does not. Atlantic weather systems make landfall in Devon and Cornwall first, arriving with their full moisture load still intact. Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor push that air upward, and orographic lift turns it into heavy rain over the moors, while stretches of the coast see only a light band pass through, leaving those areas drier than the high ground inland.
Over Newquay, England, RainViewer's radar map runs on live Met Office data, with each scan landing on the map within minutes. The live map gives a hyperlocal read on whether a shower is still out over the Atlantic or already crossing Towan Head, which a forecast for Newquay cannot tell you.
Rain by Season in Newquay
Autumn and winter storm season (September to January)
Autumn and winter storms off the Atlantic bring the heaviest swell and rain to Newquay's beaches and the harbour walls. Atlantic storms hit the peninsula first, and named storms bring heavy rain with gales along the coast. Roads in river valleys and lanes cut through moorland flood quickly, and ferries and harbour work are the first to feel it.
Transition months (February to April)
Between the last winter fronts and the first settled spells, showers arrive quickly off the sea. Because the cells are small, forecasts often miss the timing, catching out coastal walks and moorland routes more than other plans. Spring showers cross the coast quickly, and Fistral Beach and the surf schools are the first to feel a sudden change.
Summer season (May to August)
Rain becomes lighter and rarer, but sea-breeze storms can still form over the moors on warm afternoons. Short dry windows matter for holiday traffic, beach days and harbour events, and the radar catches a storm cell before it reaches the coast. Summer surfers and beach visitors depend on short dry windows between showers moving in off the sea.
Why You Need a Rain Radar in Newquay
Fistral Beach surfers and surf schools
Surf lessons and beach sessions at Fistral run in the open with no shelter from a passing shower. Instructors and surfers both watch the radar to time a session around the next band.
Newquay harbour fishing families
The working harbour below the town has boats and gear that need a dry spell to load and unload. A look at the radar shows whether the shower is still out at sea or already at Towan Head.
Commuters on the A392 and at Newquay station
The A392 into town and the branch line to Newquay station slow when a band crosses the headland. Checking the radar before leaving shows whether the rain is ahead or already passing.
Walkers on the South West Coast Path
The coast path around Newquay's headlands has almost no cover for long stretches between the beaches. Watching the cell approach helps decide whether to keep walking or turn back for town.
RainViewer Radar Coverage in Newquay
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 Newquay the map also covers Padstow, St Austell and Perranporth.
Newquay Rain Radar: Frequently Asked Questions
- How does rain affect surfing at Fistral Beach?
Fistral's surf sessions and lessons run in the open with no shelter, so a shower moving in off the Atlantic can end a session with almost no notice. Instructors and surfers both watch the sky closely. RainViewer shows the hyperlocal picture of a band crossing Towan Head before it reaches the beach.
- Does rain affect the A392 near Newquay?
Yes, the A392 into Newquay slows in heavy rain, and spray builds where the road crosses open ground near the headland. Checking the radar before setting out shows whether the band is ahead of you or already past.
- Does Newquay flood when it rains?
Yes, heavy rain can pool quickly on the low streets near the harbour and around the Gannel estuary at the edge of town. The clifftop areas around Fistral usually drain fast. The radar shows whether more rain is still moving in off the Atlantic.
- When is the best time to visit Newquay to avoid rain?
May to September is the best window to visit Newquay, when Fistral Beach, the harbour and the coast path are at their most pleasant. Atlantic showers are shorter in summer but can still arrive quickly off the sea. Check the radar in the morning and plan the beach time around the gap.
- Why can it rain on Fistral Beach while the harbour stays dry around Newquay?
Fistral faces the open Atlantic and catches an incoming shower first, while the harbour on the sheltered side of Towan Head can stay dry until the same band finally rounds the headland. A forecast covers both places with one number, while the radar map shows the rain crossing Fistral Beach and missing the harbour.
- Is the Newquay radar map free to use?
The live radar map for Newquay is free on both iOS and Android, showing Met Office data refreshed roughly every 5 minutes. Met Office C-band radar covers the far south-west of Devon and Cornwall, and its dual-polarization data tells rain from hail apart along the exposed coastline. That hyperlocal detail is available without paying anything to check it.
- What can I do with RainViewer in Newquay beyond checking current rain?
Set a rain alert on Fistral Beach or the harbour and RainViewer warns you before rain arrives, which settles whether to paddle out now or wait for the next gap. The 2-hour forecast in 5-minute slices shows the next window, and saved locations track the coast path and the Gannel estuary together.
Track Rain in Newquay in Real Time
A surf session at Fistral and a walk around the harbour both depend on a dry gap, and RainViewer shows the next one.
Rain in Newquay arrives off the Atlantic in quick bands, and the gap between two of them is the useful part.
Your weather app says showers in Newquay this afternoon. RainViewer's live hyperlocal radar shows the band still out over the Atlantic with Fistral Beach dry, which decides whether the surf session starts now.
Track rain in Newquay — 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 the harbour to the minute.
Rain alerts before arrival
Put an alert on Fistral Beach. RainViewer warns you minutes ahead, which settles whether to paddle out now or wait for the next gap.
Direction arrows on the map
Rain reaches Newquay most often from the south-west, straight off the Atlantic, 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 open Atlantic to the west, which is the fastest way to judge ground conditions.
Multiple locations
Save Fistral Beach, the harbour and the Gannel estuary and check all three in one look.
RainViewer
