Rule
Fire Sky
Melbourne - Fire Sky - Australian Coast
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Those rare, intensely red and orange sunset skies
Currently
Real-time conditionsLow Cloud Cover100%
Mid Cloud Cover100%
High Cloud Cover99%
Aerosol Optical Depth0.1
Sun Elevation-66.2° (Astronomical night)
Upcoming Opportunities
When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.
Times shown in Australia/Melbourne
Next opportunity
Excellent Fiery Red Sky at Sunrise
Melbourne
Tue, May 26 · 07:03–08:00 · 1h window
Medium confidence
56%
🔥Fiery Red Sky Potential73.4%
Low Cloud Cover: 4%
Mid Cloud Cover: 31%
High Cloud Cover: 75%
Sun Elevation: -4.7° (Civil twilight)
What this forecast looks for
Plain-language explanation from the ruleThis forecast tracks the atmospheric conditions that create Australia's legendary fire skies—vivid red and orange sunsets intensified by bushfire smoke, dust, and tropical humidity. We monitor particulate levels, humidity, and atmospheric conditions to predict when the sky will ignite in extraordinary colors.
Australian fire skies result from several phenomena: bushfire smoke during fire season adds particles that scatter light dramatically, creating blood-red sunsets. Dust from the interior can create similar effects. The tropical and subtropical north brings high humidity that generates vivid colors even without smoke. When these factors align with cloud formations, the results can be otherworldly.
What makes Australian fire skies exceptional:
- Bushfire season intensity - Summer and autumn bushfire smoke creates apocalyptic red sunsets across large areas
- Dust effects - Interior dust storms occasionally reach the coast, creating dramatic atmospheric color
- Tropical humidity - Queensland and northern NSW subtropical moisture generates vivid sunset colors
- Urban reflections - Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane skylines silhouette against fire-colored skies
Best fire skies typically occur during bushfire season (November-March), though smoke impact varies annually based on fire conditions. Not every smoke-affected sunset is beautiful—heavy smoke can obscure the sun entirely—but moderate smoke levels create unforgettable colors. Tropical fire skies peak during humid summer months. Always monitor air quality; shooting during heavy smoke poses health risks.
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72-hour requirements breakdown
What passed or failed, hour by hourAND logic: all conditions required
Meets requirement
Misses requirement
Time Australia/Melbourne | Golden Hour Any | Fiery Red Sky Potential ≥ 65.0% | Precipitation Chance ≤ 15.0% | Visibility ≥ 8000.0m |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, May 23 | ||||
| 23:00 | ✕ | 24% | 0% | 24134m |
| Sun, May 24 | ||||
| 24:00 | ✕ | 24% | 0% | 24135m |
| 01:00 | ✕ | 28% | 0% | 24134m |
| 02:00 | ✕ | 25% | 0% | 24135m |
| 03:00 | ✕ | 23% | 0% | 24135m |
| 04:00 | ✕ | 24% | 0% | 24134m |
| 05:00 | ✕ | 28% | 12% | 24134m |
| 06:00 | ✕ | 28% | 25% | 24134m |
| 07:00 | ✓ | 45% | 38% | 24135m |
| 08:00 | ✕ | 18% | 54% | 24135m |
| 09:00 | ✕ | 11% | 70% | 24135m |
| 10:00 | ✕ | 11% | 86% | 24135m |
| 11:00 | ✕ | 12% | 77% | 24135m |
| 12:00 | ✕ | 13% | 54% | 24135m |
| 13:00 | ✕ | 18% | 50% | 24135m |
| 14:00 | ✕ | 11% | 56% | 24134m |
| 15:00 | ✕ | 10% | 62% | 14809m |
| 16:00 | ✓ | 16% | 67% | 24134m |
| 17:00 | ✓ | 15% | 65% | 23549m |
| 18:00 | ✕ | 11% | 95% | 22996m |
| 19:00 | ✕ | 11% | 95% | 24134m |
| 20:00 | ✕ | 11% | 96% | 24135m |
| 21:00 | ✕ | 11% | 97% | 16014m |
| 22:00 | ✕ | 14% | 97% | 10246m |
| 23:00 | ✕ | 19% | 95% | 4883m |
| Mon, May 25 | ||||
| 24:00 | ✕ | 11% | 93% | 5010m |
| 01:00 | ✕ | 9.6% | 90% | 22770m |
| 02:00 | ✕ | 13% | 92% | 13850m |
| 03:00 | ✕ | 14% | 93% | 21689m |
| 04:00 | ✕ | 10% | 95% | 24134m |
| 05:00 | ✕ | 17% | 93% | 14556m |
| 06:00 | ✕ | 8.2% | 91% | 24134m |
| 07:00 | ✓ | 32% | 89% | 24135m |
| 08:00 | ✓ | 33% | 92% | 24134m |
| 09:00 | ✕ | 30% | 94% | 24135m |
| 10:00 | ✕ | 6.4% | 96% | 24135m |
| 11:00 | ✕ | 6.5% | 78% | 24135m |
| 12:00 | ✕ | 30% | 60% | 24135m |
| 13:00 | ✕ | 20% | 41% | 24135m |
| 14:00 | ✕ | 18% | 40% | 24134m |
| 15:00 | ✕ | 11% | 39% | 24134m |
| 16:00 | ✓ | 12% | 39% | 24134m |
| 17:00 | ✓ | 15% | 26% | 24135m |
| 18:00 | ✕ | 25% | 13% | 24134m |
| 19:00 | ✕ | 21% | 0% | 24135m |
| 20:00 | ✕ | 29% | 17% | 24135m |
| 21:00 | ✕ | 16% | 33% | 24134m |
| 22:00 | ✕ | 10% | 50% | 24135m |
| 23:00 | ✕ | 17% | 45% | 24134m |
| Tue, May 26 | ||||
| 24:00 | ✕ | 11% | 40% | 24134m |
| 01:00 | ✕ | 13% | 35% | 24134m |
| 02:00 | ✕ | 32% | 40% | 24134m |
| 03:00 | ✕ | 27% | 45% | 24135m |
| 04:00 | ✕ | 29% | 50% | 24134m |
| 05:00 | ✕ | 30% | 34% | 24135m |
| 06:00 | ✕ | 29% | 17% | 24134m |
| 07:00 | ✓ | 73% | 0.91% | 24135m |
| 08:00 | ✓ | 37% | 6.2% | 24134m |
| 09:00 | ✕ | 29% | 12% | 24134m |
| 10:00 | ✕ | 41% | 17% | 24135m |
| 11:00 | ✕ | 30% | 45% | 24134m |
| 12:00 | ✕ | 30% | 72% | 24135m |
| 13:00 | ✕ | 29% | 100% | 24134m |
| 14:00 | ✕ | 28% | 100% | 24134m |
| 15:00 | ✕ | 7.7% | 100% | 24134m |
| 16:00 | ✓ | 38% | 100% | 24135m |
| 17:00 | ✓ | 18% | 81% | 24134m |
| 18:00 | ✕ | 6.5% | 63% | 24135m |
| 19:00 | ✕ | 6.2% | 44% | 24134m |
| 20:00 | ✕ | 21% | 51% | 24135m |
| 21:00 | ✕ | 22% | 58% | 24134m |
| 22:00 | ✕ | 19% | 64% | 24134m |
| 23:00 | ✕ | 11% | 55% | 24134m |
| Wed, May 27 | ||||
| 24:00 | ✕ | 12% | 46% | 24135m |
| 01:00 | ✕ | 9% | 37% | 24135m |
| 02:00 | ✕ | 9.5% | 35% | 23085m |
| 03:00 | ✕ | 11% | 34% | 24135m |
| 04:00 | ✕ | 12% | 32% | 22438m |
| 05:00 | ✕ | 0% | 55% | 23004m |
| 06:00 | ✕ | 0% | 77% | 23569m |
| 07:00 | ✓ | 6.8% | 100% | 24135m |
| 08:00 | ✓ | 0.3% | 100% | 24135m |
| 09:00 | ✕ | 0% | 100% | 24135m |
| 10:00 | ✕ | 0% | 100% | 24135m |
| 11:00 | ✕ | 0% | 71% | 24135m |
| 12:00 | ✕ | 0% | 42% | 24135m |
| 13:00 | ✕ | 0% | 14% | 24135m |
| 14:00 | ✕ | 0% | 16% | 24135m |
| 15:00 | ✕ | 0% | 19% | 24135m |
| 16:00 | ✓ | 0% | 22% | 24135m |
| 17:00 | ✓ | 72% | 18% | 24135m |
| 18:00 | ✕ | 2.3% | 14% | 24135m |
| 19:00 | ✕ | 0% | 9.3% | 24135m |
| 20:00 | ✕ | 0% | 23% | 24135m |
| 21:00 | ✕ | 0% | 36% | 24135m |
How to read: colored cells show whether each predicate requirement is met; highlighted rows mean the full rule matched (an opportunity).
What does Fiery Red Sky Potential mean?
Inputs that drive the scoreThis derived score summarizes multiple raw weather signals. The table below shows the supporting inputs hour by hour, so you can see what's pushing the score up or down.
| Time Australia/Melbourne | Aerosol Optical Depth (550nm) | Clear Sky Probability (Ensemble) % | Cloud Cover Uncertainty (Ensemble) % | Dust AOD (550nm) | Golden Hour | High Clouds % | Low Clouds % | Mid-Level Clouds % | RH @ 700 hPa % | Smoke AOD (550nm) | Solar Elevation ° | Sunshine Duration seconds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, May 24
Sunrise 07:20
Sunset 17:12 | ||||||||||||
| 23:00 ☾ | 0.08 | 0% | 2% | 0.001 | - | 99% | 100% | 100% | 95% | 0.01 | -66° | 0seconds |
| Mon, May 25
Sunrise 07:20
Sunset 17:12 | ||||||||||||
| 24:00 ☾ | 0.08 | 0% | 1% | 0.001 | - | 100% | 99% | 100% | 92% | 0.01 | -73° | 0seconds |
| 01:00 ☾ | 0.09 | 0% | 1% | 0.001 | - | 100% | 60% | 100% | 89% | 0.02 | -71° | 0seconds |
| 02:00 ☾ | 0.1 | 0% | 1% | 0.001 | - | 100% | 99% | 100% | 84% | 0.02 | -62° | 0seconds |
| 03:00 ☾ | 0.07 | 0% | 1% | 0.001 | - | 69% | 97% | 99% | 79% | 0.02 | -51° | 0seconds |
| 04:00 ☾ | 0.06 | 0% | 1% | 0.001 | - | 6% | 27% | 93% | 74% | 0.01 | -39° | 0seconds |
| 05:00 ☾ | 0.06 | 0% | 6% | 0.001 | - | 0% | 68% | 73% | 73% | 0.01 | -28° | 0seconds |
| 06:00 ☾ | 0.06 | 1% | 12% | 0.001 | - | 5% | 42% | 5% | 72% | 0.01 | -16° | 0seconds |
| 07:00 ☾ | 0.06 | 1% | 17% | 0.001 | - | 8% | 11% | 27% | 71% | 0.01 | -4.6° | 0seconds |
| 08:00 ☾ | 0.07 | 1% | 15% | 0.001 | - | 94% | 8% | 36% | 66% | 0.02 | 6° | 0seconds |
| 09:00 ☾ | 0.07 | 0% | 13% | 0.001 | - | 100% | 0% | 16% | 61% | 0.02 | 15° | 0seconds |
| 10:00 | 0.08 | 0% | 11% | 0.001 | - | 100% | 0% | 98% | 57% | 0.02 | 23° | 0seconds |
| 11:00 | 0.09 | 0% | 9% | 0.001 | - | 100% | 0% | 99% | 66% | 0.02 | 29° | 3600seconds |
| 12:00 | 0.09 | 0% | 8% | 0.001 | - | 100% | 1% | 64% | 74% | 0.02 | 31° | 3600seconds |
| 13:00 | 0.09 | 0% | 6% | 0.001 | - | 100% | 3% | 5% | 83% | 0.02 | 30° | 3600seconds |
| 14:00 | 0.09 | 0% | 5% | 0.001 | - | 100% | 7% | 98% | 89% | 0.03 | 26° | 3600seconds |
| 15:00 | 0.1 | 0% | 5% | 0.001 | - | 100% | 78% | 96% | 94% | 0.03 | 20° | 3600seconds |
| 16:00 | 0.1 | 0% | 4% | 0.001 | - | 100% | 64% | 98% | 100% | 0.03 | 11° | 3600seconds |
| 17:00 | 0.09 | 0% | 5% | 0.001 | - | 100% | 68% | 100% | 99% | 0.02 | 1.7° | 0seconds |
| 18:00 ☾ | 0.09 | 0% | 6% | 0.001 | - | 100% | 19% | 90% | 98% | 0.02 | -9.4° | 0seconds |
| 19:00 ☾ | 0.09 | 0% | 7% | 0.001 | - | 100% | 21% | 62% | 98% | 0.02 | -21° | 0seconds |
| 20:00 ☾ | 0.08 | 0% | 9% | 0.001 | - | 98% | 40% | 70% | 98% | 0.02 | -33° | 0seconds |
| 21:00 ☾ | 0.08 | 1% | 12% | 0.001 | - | 100% | 49% | 85% | 98% | 0.02 | -44° | 0seconds |
| 22:00 ☾ | 0.08 | 1% | 14% | 0.001 | - | 12% | 78% | 100% | 98% | 0.02 | -56° | 0seconds |
| 23:00 ☾ | - | 2% | 17% | - | - | 5% | 77% | 96% | 97% | - | -66° | 0seconds |
| Tue, May 26
Sunrise 07:21
Sunset 17:12 | ||||||||||||
| 24:00 ☾ | - | 3% | 19% | - | - | 16% | 60% | 73% | 97% | - | -73° | 0seconds |
| 01:00 ☾ | - | 4% | 22% | - | - | 5% | 25% | 35% | 97% | - | -71° | 0seconds |
| 02:00 ☾ | - | 3% | 21% | - | - | 52% | 84% | 23% | 96% | - | -62° | 0seconds |
| 03:00 ☾ | - | 3% | 20% | - | - | 100% | 44% | 8% | 95% | - | -51° | 0seconds |
| 04:00 ☾ | - | 2% | 19% | - | - | 100% | 5% | 5% | 93% | - | -39° | 0seconds |
| 05:00 ☾ | - | 2% | 19% | - | - | 100% | 6% | 5% | 87% | - | -28° | 0seconds |
| 06:00 ☾ | - | 2% | 19% | - | - | 100% | 5% | 5% | 81% | - | -16° | 0seconds |
| 07:00 ☾ | - | 2% | 19% | - | - | 75% | 4% | 31% | 76% | - | -4.7° | 0seconds |
| 08:00 ☾ | - | 1% | 17% | - | - | 72% | 5% | 14% | 72% | - | 5.8° | 0seconds |
| 09:00 ☾ | - | 1% | 15% | - | - | 100% | 6% | 47% | 69% | - | 15° | 0seconds |
| 10:00 | - | 0% | 13% | - | - | 40% | 6% | 41% | 65% | - | 23° | 0seconds |
| 11:00 | - | 2% | 16% | - | - | 100% | 5% | 5% | 64% | - | 28° | 3600seconds |
| 12:00 | - | 3% | 19% | - | - | 100% | 4% | 4% | 63% | - | 31° | 3600seconds |
| 13:00 | - | 5% | 22% | - | - | 100% | 15% | 15% | 62% | - | 30° | 3600seconds |
| 14:00 | - | 4% | 20% | - | - | 75% | 12% | 27% | 62% | - | 26° | 3600seconds |
| 15:00 | - | 2% | 18% | - | - | 100% | 5% | 73% | 62% | - | 20° | 3600seconds |
| 16:00 | - | 1% | 16% | - | - | 59% | 0% | 13% | 63% | - | 11° | 3600seconds |
| 17:00 | - | 1% | 12% | - | - | 98% | 0% | 90% | 62% | - | 1.6° | 0seconds |
| 18:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 9% | - | - | 100% | 0% | 48% | 62% | - | -9.5° | 0seconds |
| 19:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 5% | - | - | 100% | 2% | 100% | 62% | - | -21° | 0seconds |
| 20:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 5% | - | - | 100% | 5% | 100% | 74% | - | -33° | 0seconds |
| 21:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 5% | - | - | 100% | 50% | 100% | 86% | - | -45° | 0seconds |
| 22:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 5% | - | - | 100% | 66% | 100% | 98% | - | -56° | 0seconds |
| 23:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 4% | - | - | 100% | 100% | 100% | 98% | - | -66° | 0seconds |
| Wed, May 27
Sunrise 07:22
Sunset 17:11 | ||||||||||||
| 24:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 2% | - | - | 100% | 100% | 100% | 99% | - | -73° | 0seconds |
| 01:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 1% | - | - | 78% | 100% | 99% | 99% | - | -71° | 0seconds |
| 02:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 2% | - | - | 10% | 100% | 96% | 99% | - | -62° | 0seconds |
| 03:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 4% | - | - | 1% | 100% | 50% | 99% | - | -51° | 0seconds |
| 04:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 5% | - | - | 0% | 100% | 92% | 99% | - | -40° | 0seconds |
| 05:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 9% | - | - | 3% | 85% | 64% | 99% | - | -28° | 1200seconds |
| 06:00 ☾ | - | 1% | 13% | - | - | 6% | 69% | 35% | 99% | - | -16° | 2400seconds |
| 07:00 ☾ | - | 1% | 17% | - | - | 9% | 54% | 6% | 100% | - | -4.8° | 3600seconds |
| 08:00 ☾ | - | 1% | 17% | - | - | 39% | 38% | 11% | 99% | - | 5.7° | 3600seconds |
| 09:00 ☾ | - | 1% | 17% | - | - | 70% | 22% | 15% | 99% | - | 15° | 3600seconds |
| 10:00 | - | 1% | 17% | - | - | 100% | 6% | 20% | 99% | - | 23° | 3600seconds |
| 11:00 | - | 5% | 21% | - | - | 100% | 4% | 15% | 92% | - | 28° | 2400seconds |
| 12:00 | - | 9% | 26% | - | - | 100% | 2% | 10% | 85% | - | 31° | 1200seconds |
| 13:00 | - | 13% | 30% | - | - | 100% | 0% | 5% | 77% | - | 30° | 0seconds |
| 14:00 | - | 12% | 29% | - | - | 87% | 0% | 21% | 68% | - | 26° | 0seconds |
| 15:00 | - | 12% | 29% | - | - | 74% | 0% | 37% | 59% | - | 20° | 0seconds |
| 16:00 | - | 11% | 28% | - | - | 61% | 0% | 53% | 50% | - | 11° | 0seconds |
| 17:00 | - | 10% | 27% | - | - | 44% | 0% | 36% | 44% | - | 1.5° | 0seconds |
| 18:00 ☾ | - | 8% | 26% | - | - | 27% | 0% | 18% | 39% | - | -9.6° | 0seconds |
| 19:00 ☾ | - | 7% | 25% | - | - | 10% | 0% | 0% | 33% | - | -21° | 0seconds |
| 20:00 ☾ | - | 6% | 24% | - | - | 12% | 0% | 0% | 33% | - | -33° | 0seconds |
| 21:00 ☾ | - | 6% | 23% | - | - | 14% | 0% | 0% | 33% | - | -45° | 0seconds |
| 22:00 ☾ | - | 5% | 22% | - | - | 16% | 0% | 0% | 33% | - | -56° | 0seconds |
How to read: these inputs help produce the derived score; they are not requirements by themselves.
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