Is it raining now in St Andrews?
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 St Andrews: What You Need to Know
St Andrews sits on the Fife coast where the Old Course and the university's ancient streets meet the wide beach at West Sands and the ruined cathedral above the harbour. Rain here can arrive from the west or off the North Sea, and a forecast rarely says which is coming. That gap closes with a St Andrews rain radar, since hyperlocal radar tracks the cell itself rather than smoothing it into a regional figure.
St Andrews faces the open North Sea directly on its eastern side, so a shower coming in off the water can reach the Old Course and the beaches well before it reaches the more sheltered streets around the cathedral ruins further back from the shore. Frontal rain crosses the Grampians and the Southern Uplands and loses part of its moisture on the way down, so the east coast is drier than the west. Rain off the North Sea and heavy summer showers can still deliver bursts, and the river valleys drain fast to the coast.
Over St Andrews, Scotland, RainViewer's radar map runs on live Met Office data, with each scan landing on the map within minutes. The live hyperlocal map shows whether a shower is still out over the North Sea or already crossing the Old Course, which a forecast for St Andrews cannot tell you.
Rain by Season in St Andrews
Autumn and winter fronts (October to January)
Autumn and winter storms bring rain and wind off the North Sea, and West Sands and the Old Course are the first places to close. 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.
Transition months (February to April)
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. Cold spring showers cross the coast quickly, and a round on the Old Course is the plan most often caught out.
Summer season (May to September)
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. Summer showers are short, and West Sands and the cathedral grounds depend on the gaps between them.
Why You Need a Rain Radar in St Andrews
Old Course golfers
The Old Course sits open to the sea with almost no shelter, and a shower coming in off the North Sea can end a round with little warning. Check the radar before teeing off.
West Sands beach visitors
The wide, flat beach at West Sands is fully exposed, and a shower crossing the water reaches it quickly. Watch the cell approach and decide whether to stay out.
Cathedral ruins and harbour visitors
The roofless cathedral ruins and the old harbour give visitors little cover, and a shower can send people for the town's closer streets within minutes. A look at the radar shows how close it is.
University students and town centre shoppers
St Andrews' historic streets and shops empty fast once a shower moves in off the sea. Check the radar before setting out on foot.
RainViewer Radar Coverage in St Andrews
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 St Andrews the map also covers Cupar, Anstruther and Dundee.
St Andrews Rain Radar: Frequently Asked Questions
- How does rain affect a round on the Old Course at St Andrews?
The Old Course lies open to the North Sea with no shelter across its length, so a shower coming in off the water can reach golfers well before it reaches the more sheltered streets around the university. Caddies and players both watch the eastern sky closely. RainViewer shows the shower crossing the sea before it reaches the course.
- Does rain affect West Sands beach at St Andrews?
Yes, West Sands is fully exposed to the North Sea, and a shower crossing the water reaches the beach with little warning, sometimes catching walkers far from the dunes. Check the radar before you go. RainViewer marks the cell's position, so it is clear whether it is still coming or already gone.
- Does St Andrews flood when it rains?
St Andrews rarely floods badly, since the town sits on rising ground above the shore, but low ground near the harbour and West Sands can be affected by a high tide combined with heavy rain and onshore wind. The radar shows whether a heavy band is still approaching from the sea.
- When is the best time to visit St Andrews to avoid rain?
May to September is the best window to visit St Andrews, with the Old Course, West Sands and the cathedral ruins at their most pleasant. Autumn and winter bring the stormiest weather off the North Sea. Check the radar in the morning and plan the outdoor time around the gap.
- Why can it rain on the Old Course while the cathedral ruins stays dry around St Andrews?
The Old Course sits directly on the exposed coast and catches an approaching shower first, while the cathedral ruins a little further back from the shore can stay dry for a few minutes longer. Live radar shows the edge of each cell, so checking the Old Course and the cathedral ruins separately shows which side of the line you are on.
- How often does the St Andrews radar map update?
The St Andrews radar map updates about every 5 minutes, in line with the Met Office's own scan cycle, rather than on a fixed forecast schedule. 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 pace is fast enough to catch a shower moving across town in real time.
- What can I do with RainViewer in St Andrews beyond checking current rain?
Set a rain alert on the Old Course or West Sands and RainViewer warns you before rain arrives. That lets you time a hyperlocal round or a beach walk. The 2-hour forecast in 5-minute slices shows the next gap, and saved locations track the coast and the town together.
Track Rain in St Andrews in Real Time
A round on the Old Course and a walk on West Sands both depend on a dry gap, and RainViewer shows the next one.
Rain in St Andrews can arrive from the west or in off the North Sea, and a forecast rarely says which.
Your forecast for St Andrews says showers this evening. RainViewer's live hyperlocal radar shows the cell still out over the North Sea with the Old Course still dry, which decides whether the round continues.
Track rain in St Andrews — 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 round on the Old Course to the minute.
Rain alerts before arrival
Put an alert on the Old Course. RainViewer warns you minutes ahead, which settles whether to tee off now or wait for the sea band to pass.
Direction arrows on the map
Rain reaches St Andrews most often from the west, across the Highlands, with North Sea showers from the east, 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 Sea approach from the east, which is the fastest way to judge ground conditions.
Multiple locations
Save the Old Course, West Sands and the cathedral ruins and check all three in one look.
RainViewer
