Is it raining now in Saint Ives?
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Last update: 21:00, 5 Oct 2026
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Rain in Saint Ives: What You Need to Know
Saint Ives is a fishing and art town on the north Cornwall coast, with a working harbour, the sand of Porthmeor Beach and Tate St Ives looking out over the bay. Rain here arrives straight off the Atlantic, and the town's exposed headland gives it almost nothing to soften an approaching band. For that reason a Saint Ives rain radar is more useful here than a daily summary, because hyperlocal radar follows each shower across the map.
St Ives Bay sits fully open to the Atlantic, so a shower that looks distant out at sea can reach the harbour and Porthmeor within minutes of the horizon darkening. 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.
The radar map covering Saint Ives, England, draws directly on Met Office data, refreshed about every 5 minutes as new scans arrive. The live hyperlocal map shows whether a shower is still out over the Atlantic or already at the harbour, which a forecast for Saint Ives cannot tell you.
Rain by Season in Saint Ives
Autumn and winter storm season (September to January)
Winter Atlantic gales bring the roughest seas of the year, and the harbour and the seafront are the first places to feel the wind and rain. 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 bay fast, and surfers checking Porthmeor Beach are the ones most often caught by 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 brings lighter rain, but the harbour, the beaches and the coast path still depend on short dry windows between Atlantic showers.
Why You Need a Rain Radar in Saint Ives
Surfers and swimmers at Porthmeor Beach
The open beach faces the Atlantic directly, and a shower can cross it with almost no warning for anyone already in the water. Checking the radar before paddling out shows whether the session will stay dry.
Harbour front visitors and artists
The working harbour and the galleries around Tate St Ives draw visitors along open quaysides with little cover. Watching the cell approach shows whether to stay out or head under cover.
Coast path walkers toward Zennor
The South West Coast Path west of Saint Ives runs along exposed cliffs with almost no shelter. A look at the radar first shows whether the walk will stay dry.
Market day and high street shoppers
Saint Ives's narrow high street fills with visitors on busy days, and a downpour can send them under cover quickly. Checking the radar before setting out shows whether the trip will stay dry.
RainViewer Radar Coverage in Saint Ives
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 Saint Ives the map also covers Penzance, Hayle and Carbis Bay.
Saint Ives Rain Radar: Frequently Asked Questions
- How does rain affect surfing at Porthmeor Beach?
Porthmeor Beach faces the open Atlantic with nothing to break an approaching shower, and surfers already in the water often get no warning before it arrives. Regular surfers check conditions before paddling out on a changeable day. RainViewer shows the shower crossing the bay toward the beach.
- Does rain affect the A3074 into Saint Ives?
Yes, heavy rain slows the A3074 along the peninsula into Saint Ives, and spray builds on the exposed stretches near the coast. Check the radar before entering the traffic. The live map shows whether the shower is ahead of you or has already moved through.
- Does Saint Ives flood when it rains?
Saint Ives has a coastal flood risk around the harbour, where heavy rain combined with a high tide and onshore gales can send water over the old quaysides. The higher streets away from the harbour stay clear. The radar shows whether a heavy band is still out over the Atlantic.
- When is the best time to visit Saint Ives to avoid rain?
May to September is the best window to visit Saint Ives, with the harbour, Porthmeor Beach and the coast path at their driest. Atlantic showers can still arrive with little warning in any month. Check the radar in the morning and plan the beach time around the dry gap.
- Why can it rain on Porthmeor Beach on the open coast while the harbour on the sheltered side stays dry around Saint Ives?
Porthmeor Beach faces the Atlantic directly and takes a shower in full, while the harbour on the more sheltered side of the headland can stay lighter for a few minutes longer. A forecast covers both places with one number, while the radar map shows the rain crossing Porthmeor Beach on the open coast and missing the harbour on the sheltered side.
- Can I trust the Saint Ives rain radar more than my phone's default weather app?
The Saint Ives 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. 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 difference is why the radar catches a shower a forecast app misses.
- What can I do with RainViewer in Saint Ives beyond checking current rain?
Set a rain alert on Porthmeor Beach or the harbour and RainViewer warns you before rain arrives. That lets you time a surf session or a harbour walk around the hyperlocal picture the radar gives. The 2-hour forecast in 5-minute slices shows the next gap, and saved locations track Carbis Bay and Hayle together.
Track Rain in Saint Ives in Real Time
A surf session at Porthmeor and a walk around the harbour both depend on a dry gap, and RainViewer shows the next one.
Showers reach Saint Ives fast from the south-west, so an hour of forecast can hide several dry gaps.
Your weather app says showers in Saint Ives this afternoon. RainViewer's live hyperlocal radar shows the cell still out over the Atlantic with Porthmeor Beach still dry, which decides whether the surf session starts now.
Track rain in Saint Ives — 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 surf session at Porthmeor Beach fits inside the dry gap.
Rain alerts before arrival
Set the alert at Porthmeor Beach, and the warning arrives in time to decide whether to paddle out now or wait for the cell to pass.
Direction arrows on the map
Storms usually arrive from the south-west, straight off the Atlantic over Saint Ives, and the arrows show which way each cell is moving.
48 hours of radar history
Check the open Atlantic west of the headland in the last 48 hours to see how much rain came down.
Multiple locations
Keep Porthmeor Beach, the harbour and Carbis Bay on the same list, each with its own alert.
RainViewer
