While Pokemon Sword & Shield’s core mechanics remain closely aligned with the series’ roots, this bolder and more ambitious version of the Pokemon formula does introduce some new features. This includes the ability to change the weather. Here’s how to change the weather in Pokemon Sword & Shield.
Before we jump in we’ll first of all note to you that changing the weather applies specifically to the Wild Area only. It is for the purposes of catching specific Pokemon that spawn depending on weather conditions.
Indeed, if you look up a Pokemon in your Pokedex it will not only show you its spawn location but also one of 10 weather conditions it will spawn in.
How to Change the Weather in Pokemon Sword & Shield
To change the weather in Pokemon Sword & Shield, all you need to do is access your Nintendo Switch system menu and change the time. This will randomize the weather to a different condition.
You need to go to your System Settings and scroll down to the System tab at the bottom. From there, click Date and Time and change the time zone you are in.
Time needed: 1 minute
To sum up how to change the weather in Pokemon Sword and Shield.
- Press the Home button on your Nintendo Switch
- Access System Settings
- Access Change Time and change it by at least a few hours
However, you can also choose which weather conditions you’d like by changing the date to something specific. This process is the same as the above, except you are obviously changing the date rather than the time.
There are several dates that actually give you the same weather conditions across the entire of Galar.
These are as follows:
- Sunny – May 1
- Overcast – March 1
- Rainy – Oct. 1
- Thunder – Nov. 1
- Snow – Dec. 1
- Harsh Sunlight – July 1
- Hail – Feb. 1, 2020
- Sandstorm – April 1, 2020
- Fog – June 1, 2020
Note you will need to have acquired a certain amount of gym badges to unlock the ability to change the weather to hail, sandstorm, and fog.
That is everything you should need to know about how to change the weather in Pokemon Sword & Shield. For more on the game, be sure to check out our extensive guide wiki.
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