Barometric Pressure Headaches: What Studies Show and How to Track Them

By Jack Wallner · Last updated October 18, 2026

A barometric pressure headache is a headache or migraine attack that seems to start around a change in air pressure, usually a drop as a storm or low-pressure system arrives. Diary studies link pressure falls of about 5 to 10 hPa with migraine in some people, but not everyone reacts. To check your own link, record the pressure and its direction each time a headache starts.

General information, not medical advice. The app is a log only and does not diagnose, treat or prevent any condition. A log is something to bring to a doctor, not a substitute for one.

What is a barometric pressure headache?

It is a headache or migraine attack that seems to be set off by a change in air pressure. It is not a separate diagnosis. Barometric pressure is the weight of the air above you, measured in hectopascals (hPa, the same as millibars) or inches of mercury. Standard pressure at sea level is about 1013 hPa, and it falls when a low-pressure system or storm moves in. The American Migraine Foundation lists storms, excessive heat and changes in barometric pressure among common weather triggers.

Can falling barometric pressure trigger a migraine?

In some people, yes. The evidence comes mostly from small diary studies, and it points to falling pressure rather than low pressure as such:

Kimoto and colleagues, 2011: 28 people with migraine in Japan kept a headache diary for a year. Migraine was more frequent when pressure fell by more than 5 hPa from one day to the next, and less frequent after rises of more than 5 hPa. The monthly average pressure showed no link with headache frequency. 18 of the 28 said weather changes brought on their headaches.
Okuma and colleagues, 2015: 34 people with migraine recorded the pressure when each attack began. Attacks happened most often when pressure was 6 to 10 hPa below the 1013 hPa standard, in the 1003 to 1007 hPa range.
Kelman, 2007: in a survey of 1,207 people with migraine, 53.2% named weather as a trigger. That is what people believe, not a measured effect.

Does barometric pressure affect everyone with headaches?

No. In the Kelman survey, nearly half of people with migraine did not name weather as a trigger, and a larger study found a weaker link than the small diary studies did. A Boston study of 7,054 emergency department visits for headache between 2000 and 2007 found that higher temperature in the previous 24 hours raised the risk of a visit. Lower pressure 48 to 72 hours earlier raised it only for headaches that were not migraine. The Migraine Trust notes that stable weather, even very hot or cold, can be easier to tolerate than changing weather, and that an attack is rarely triggered by one thing on its own.

Why would a change in air pressure cause a headache?

Nobody knows for sure. Okuma and colleagues suggest pressure changes may affect blood vessels, but their study did not test that. The Migraine Trust describes pressure as a possible direct trigger and hot weather as an indirect one, since sweating can lead to dehydration.

How do you track barometric pressure with your headaches?

Record the pressure, and whether it is rising or falling, at the moment each headache starts. Then compare it with days you had no headache. A useful entry has:

Start time. Pressure changes hour to hour, so the time matters more than the date.
Pressure in hPa or inHg from a weather app or a phone barometer.
Direction: rising, falling or steady over the last few hours. In the Kimoto study, the day-to-day change mattered and the monthly average did not.
Other factors from the same day: sleep, meals, alcohol, your cycle and stress. Weather rarely acts alone, so these keep you from crediting pressure for something else.
The basics of the attack: severity, symptoms and medication, as in a standard headache diary.

Doing this by hand means opening a weather app during a headache every time. Most people skip it, and the gaps make any pattern hard to trust.

How many headaches do you need to see a pressure pattern?

There is no fixed number, but plan on months, not weeks. A Cephalalgia study that found personal trigger patterns used 90 days of diaries. Weather makes it harder still: a 2013 analysis found that two days with closely similar weather happened a median of only 2.3 times a year, so you rarely get a clean side-by-side comparison. Expect a pattern to firm up slowly, and treat an early cluster as a lead to check, not proof.

What can you do if pressure changes seem to trigger your headaches?

Plan around the forecast and talk to your doctor. The Migraine Trust suggests keeping an eye on the forecast without letting it run your life, and keeping sleep, meals and fluids regular around a weather change so other triggers do not stack up. It also mentions that taking acute medication early may help shorten an attack. Ask your doctor what plan suits you, and bring your log so they can see how often it happens. The NHS says to see a GP if you regularly get headaches or if a headache is not getting better with treatment you have tried yourself.

When does a headache need urgent help?

When it starts suddenly and is extremely painful, or comes with other warning signs. The NHS says to call emergency services or go to the emergency department if a headache comes with a seizure, numbness or weakness in the face or body, difficulty speaking, balancing or walking, drowsiness or confusion, loss of vision, or a very high temperature with a stiff neck, or follows a head injury in the last 3 months. Weather does not change that advice.

How does Migraine Headache Tracker Log record pressure?

It records it for you at the moment you log. Migraine Headache Tracker Log saves a headache with one tap on iPhone, Apple Watch or a Home Screen widget, then attaches the local barometric pressure in hPa, whether it was rising, falling or steady, and the change over the last six hours. Temperature, humidity, air quality and pollen come with it, plus Apple Health data such as last night's sleep and heart rate variability when you allow it. Your full history exports as a CSV with 80+ columns, so you or your doctor can compare pressure on headache days with the rest. The optional Headache Pro upgrade can alert you when the 24-hour forecast shows a pressure drop. The app records what the weather was. It cannot tell you what caused a headache. Comparing apps? See the best headache tracker app comparison.

Free headache log for iPhone and Apple Watch that records barometric pressure with every entry. No account needed.

Download on the App Store

Frequently asked questions

Can barometric pressure cause headaches?

Changes in barometric pressure can be a trigger for some people with migraine. Small diary studies link falling pressure with more attacks, while a larger emergency department study found a link with lower pressure only for headaches that were not migraine.

What barometric pressure change triggers a migraine?

There is no single threshold. One study found more migraine when pressure fell by more than 5 hPa from one day to the next. Another found attacks most often when pressure was 6 to 10 hPa below the 1013 hPa standard. Your own pattern may differ.

Why do I get headaches when the weather changes?

Weather change, more than any steady condition, seems to be what bothers some people. The Migraine Trust says stable weather, even extreme heat or cold, can be easier to tolerate than a changing pattern, and that heat can also act indirectly through dehydration.

How do I know if barometric pressure is my trigger?

Log the pressure and whether it was rising or falling each time a headache starts, keep going for a few months, and compare those readings with your headache-free days. Review the pattern with your doctor before drawing conclusions.

Can an app predict a barometric pressure headache?

No app can predict a headache. A forecast can show a pressure drop coming, and an app can tell you when that matches what has happened before in your own log, which gives you time to plan.

When should I see a doctor about weather headaches?

The NHS says to see a GP if you regularly get headaches or if a headache is not getting better with treatment you have tried yourself. Get emergency help for a sudden, extremely painful headache or one with warning signs such as weakness, confusion or loss of vision.