The point in the sky from which the meteors appear to originate is known as the radiant and the quality of the display is measured by how many meteors are visible every hour – known as the zenithal hourly rate.
The radiant for the Orionids is in the constellation of Orion which rises in the east after midnight, just to the north of its red-tinged star Betelgeuse. The zenithal hourly rate is 10-20 meteors per hour.
Find a dark spot, away from city lights after midnight with a wide open sky. Allow your eyes around 15 minutes to adjust to the dark. You won’t need binoculars or a telescope as the shower will be visible to the naked eye.
And if the weather or the moonlight hamper your view? Try later in the week or perhaps wait until the Geminids in December, although for the Geminid peak this year, an even more ominous full Moon threatens.
Keep across your local forecast on the BBC Weather website or app.