What conditions does Golden Hour look for?

Golden Hour: Any. Golden Hour Potential: ≥ 80.0%. Precipitation Chance: ≤ 5.0%. Visibility: ≥ 1000.0m

How often do conditions match?

There are 3 upcoming opportunity windows in the next 10 days.

More Golden Hour in Australian Coast

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Rule Golden Hour

Melbourne - Golden Hour - Australian Coast

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

That magical warm light just after sunrise or before sunset

Currently

Real-time conditions

Golden Hour Potential

17%

Low Cloud Cover6%

Mid Cloud Cover0%

High Cloud Cover0%

Sun Elevation-11.7° (Nautical twilight)

Upcoming Opportunities

When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.

Times shown in Australia/Melbourne

Next opportunity

Exceptional Golden Hour at Sunrise

Melbourne

Today · 06:40–07:32 · 1h window

Medium confidence

66%

🌇Golden Hour Potential95.7-100%

Low Cloud Cover: 6%

Mid Cloud Cover: 0%

High Cloud Cover: 0%

Sun Elevation: -11.7° (Nautical twilight)

Exceptional Golden Hour at Sunset

Melbourne

Today · 19:34–20:25

🌇Golden Hour Potential:96.8-98%

Medium

Exceptional Golden Hour at Sunset

Melbourne

Wed, Feb 25 · 19:31–20:22

🌇Golden Hour Potential:88.2-89%

Low

What this forecast looks for

Plain-language explanation from the rule

This forecast identifies when the Australian east coast will catch spectacular sunrise light—the golden hour that makes icons like the Sydney Opera House and coastal landscapes glow. We track sun angle, cloud cover, and atmospheric conditions to predict when warm light will illuminate the coast at its finest.

Australia's east-facing coastline means sunrise is the premier golden hour opportunity. The Sydney Opera House catching first light is one of photography's iconic shots, while the Great Ocean Road's limestone formations take on golden warmth. The subtropical north offers year-round warm weather, while the temperate south brings seasonal variation.

What makes Australian coastal golden hour exceptional:

Sydney Opera House sunrise - World-famous architecture catches first light over Pacific horizon
Great Ocean Road glow - Twelve Apostles and London Bridge limestone turns warm gold at sunrise
Byron Bay lighthouse - Australia's most easterly point catches the nation's first light
Year-round accessibility - Mild climate means golden hour photography in every season

Best conditions occur during clear winter mornings (June-August) when atmosphere is crisp and sunrise happens at reasonable hours (6-7am). Summer brings very early sunrises (5am) but offers warm swimming weather as bonus. The Great Ocean Road faces south, so golden hour works better for overall scene illumination rather than direct sunrise shots. Classic locations include Mrs Macquarie's Chair for Opera House sunrise and Gibson Steps for Twelve Apostles access.

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72-hour requirements breakdown

What passed or failed, hour by hour

6matching hours in the next 95 hoursJump to next match

AND logic: all conditions required

Meets requirement

Misses requirement

Time Australia/Melbourne	Golden Hour Any	Golden Hour Potential ≥ 80.0%	Precipitation Chance ≤ 5.0%	Visibility ≥ 1000.0m
Sun, Feb 22
06:00	✓	52%	15%	24135m
07:00	✓	51%	29%	24134m
08:00	✕	8.4%	44%	24135m
09:00	✕	8.4%	61%	24135m
10:00	✕	8.4%	78%	24135m
11:00	✕	8.5%	95%	24135m
12:00	✕	8.9%	95%	24135m
13:00	✕	8.5%	96%	24107m
14:00	✕	8.3%	96%	14072m
15:00	✕	8.9%	98%	23839m
16:00	✕	8.4%	99%	22007m
17:00	✕	7.5%	100%	12319m
18:00	✕	6.2%	93%	7824m
19:00	✓	32%	86%	4326m
20:00	✓	49%	78%	23204m
21:00	✕	6.8%	78%	15843m
22:00	✕	7.8%	78%	17983m
23:00	✕	9.2%	78%	15895m
Mon, Feb 23
24:00	✕	6.4%	63%	11488m
01:00	✕	9%	32%	24135m
02:00	✕	10%	0%	24135m
03:00	✕	11%	0%	24135m
04:00	✕	17%	0%	24135m
05:00	✕	18%	0%	24135m
06:00	✓	100%	0%	24134m
07:00	✓	96%	0%	24134m
08:00	✕	16%	0%	24135m
09:00	✕	17%	0%	24135m
10:00	✕	16%	0%	24135m
11:00	✕	16%	0%	24135m
12:00	✕	16%	0%	24135m
13:00	✕	16%	0%	24135m
14:00	✕	16%	0%	24135m
15:00	✕	16%	0%	24134m
16:00	✕	16%	0%	24135m
17:00	✕	16%	0%	24134m
18:00	✕	16%	1.2%	24135m
19:00	✓	97%	2.3%	24134m
20:00	✓	98%	3.5%	24135m
21:00	✕	16%	19%	24134m
22:00	✕	17%	34%	24134m
23:00	✕	17%	50%	24135m
Tue, Feb 24
24:00	✕	17%	45%	24134m
01:00	✕	17%	40%	24135m
02:00	✕	18%	35%	24135m
03:00	✕	13%	34%	24134m
04:00	✕	17%	32%	24134m
05:00	✕	18%	31%	24134m
06:00	✓	100%	48%	24135m
07:00	✓	76%	66%	24135m
08:00	✕	17%	83%	24135m
09:00	✕	17%	88%	24135m
10:00	✕	19%	93%	24134m
11:00	✕	17%	98%	24135m
12:00	✕	16%	95%	15793m
13:00	✕	18%	93%	13073m
14:00	✕	11%	90%	6785m
15:00	✕	14%	92%	22902m
16:00	✕	12%	94%	10166m
17:00	✕	8.9%	96%	17733m
18:00	✕	10%	85%	24134m
19:00	✓	100%	75%	20829m
20:00	✓	59%	64%	17382m
21:00	✕	10%	66%	24135m
22:00	✕	10%	67%	24134m
23:00	✕	10%	68%	22828m
Wed, Feb 25
24:00	✕	11%	50%	24134m
01:00	✕	11%	31%	24135m
02:00	✕	10%	13%	24135m
03:00	✕	12%	16%	24134m
04:00	✕	11%	19%	24135m
05:00	✕	10%	22%	24135m
06:00	✓	74%	15%	24134m
07:00	✓	100%	7.4%	24134m
08:00	✕	16%	0%	24134m
09:00	✕	17%	0%	24134m
10:00	✕	18%	0%	24134m
11:00	✕	18%	0%	24135m
12:00	✕	17%	0%	24135m
13:00	✕	16%	0%	24135m
14:00	✕	15%	0%	24135m
15:00	✕	15%	0%	24135m
16:00	✕	15%	0%	24135m
17:00	✕	15%	0%	24135m
18:00	✕	15%	0%	24135m
19:00	✓	89%	0%	24135m
20:00	✓	88%	0%	24135m
21:00	✕	16%	0%	24135m
22:00	✕	16%	0%	24135m
23:00	✕	16%	0%	24135m
Thu, Feb 26
24:00	✕	16%	0%	24135m
01:00	✕	16%	0%	24135m
02:00	✕	15%	0%	24135m
03:00	✕	17%	0%	24135m
04:00	✕	13%	0%	24135m

How to read: colored cells show whether each predicate requirement is met; highlighted rows mean the full rule matched (an opportunity).

What does Golden Hour Potential mean?

Inputs that drive the score

This 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	Golden Hour	High Clouds %	Low Clouds %	Mid-Level Clouds %	Relative Humidity %	Total Cloud Coverage %	Wind Speed m/s
Mon, Feb 23 Sunrise 06:58 Sunset 20:09
06:00 ☾	-	0%	6%	0%	78%	6%	2.1m/s
07:00 ☾	-	0%	2%	0%	78%	2%	2m/s
08:00 ☾	-	0%	0%	0%	74%	0%	2.2m/s
09:00 ☾	-	0%	0%	0%	63%	0%	2.8m/s
10:00 ☾	-	0%	0%	0%	54%	0%	3.1m/s
11:00 ☾	-	0%	0%	0%	48%	0%	3.4m/s
12:00 ☾	-	0%	0%	0%	42%	0%	3.5m/s
13:00 ☾	-	0%	0%	0%	38%	0%	3.9m/s
14:00 ☾	-	0%	0%	0%	35%	0%	4.3m/s
15:00 ☾	-	0%	0%	0%	34%	0%	4.7m/s
16:00 ☾	-	0%	0%	0%	35%	0%	4.8m/s
17:00 ☾	-	0%	0%	0%	37%	0%	4.7m/s
18:00 ☾	-	0%	0%	0%	40%	0%	4.4m/s
19:00 ☾	-	0%	0%	0%	45%	0%	4.1m/s
20:00 ☾	-	0%	0%	0%	52%	0%	3.6m/s
21:00 ☾	-	0%	0%	0%	59%	0%	2.9m/s
22:00 ☾	-	0%	0%	0%	63%	0%	2.1m/s
23:00 ☾	-	0%	0%	0%	65%	0%	1.2m/s
Tue, Feb 24 Sunrise 06:59 Sunset 20:08
24:00 ☾	-	0%	0%	0%	67%	0%	0.55m/s
01:00 ☾	-	0%	0%	0%	69%	0%	0.3m/s
02:00 ☾	-	0%	18%	0%	70%	18%	0.59m/s
03:00 ☾	-	0%	75%	0%	70%	75%	1.1m/s
04:00 ☾	-	0%	5%	0%	69%	5%	1.1m/s
05:00 ☾	-	0%	10%	2%	70%	10%	0.46m/s
06:00 ☾	-	0%	8%	0%	69%	8%	0.8m/s
07:00 ☾	-	0%	79%	0%	69%	79%	1.1m/s
08:00 ☾	-	0%	52%	0%	65%	52%	0.46m/s
09:00 ☾	-	2%	45%	25%	61%	45%	0.57m/s
10:00 ☾	-	3%	16%	7%	55%	16%	0.95m/s
11:00 ☾	-	5%	0%	0%	49%	5%	0.47m/s
12:00 ☾	-	0%	0%	1%	48%	1%	1.5m/s
13:00 ☾	-	0%	24%	13%	52%	24%	2.9m/s
14:00 ☾	-	0%	74%	6%	64%	74%	3.8m/s
15:00 ☾	-	0%	57%	29%	70%	57%	3.9m/s
16:00 ☾	-	0%	71%	44%	75%	71%	2.7m/s
17:00 ☾	-	0%	88%	54%	84%	89%	3.6m/s
18:00 ☾	-	0%	90%	0%	83%	90%	3.5m/s
19:00 ☾	-	0%	42%	7%	82%	42%	4m/s
20:00 ☾	-	0%	90%	18%	85%	90%	3.2m/s
21:00 ☾	-	0%	100%	0%	84%	100%	3.4m/s
22:00 ☾	-	0%	94%	0%	86%	94%	3.5m/s
23:00 ☾	-	0%	100%	0%	85%	100%	3.3m/s
Wed, Feb 25 Sunrise 07:00 Sunset 20:06
24:00 ☾	-	0%	100%	0%	85%	100%	2.5m/s
01:00 ☾	-	0%	100%	0%	85%	100%	2.3m/s
02:00 ☾	-	0%	100%	0%	86%	100%	2.9m/s
03:00 ☾	-	0%	70%	0%	87%	70%	3.3m/s
04:00 ☾	-	0%	75%	0%	85%	75%	3m/s
05:00 ☾	-	0%	96%	0%	81%	96%	3.1m/s
06:00 ☾	-	0%	70%	0%	75%	70%	3.3m/s
07:00 ☾	-	0%	18%	0%	73%	18%	3m/s
08:00 ☾	-	0%	1%	0%	71%	1%	3.1m/s
09:00 ☾	-	0%	8%	0%	65%	8%	3.8m/s
10:00 ☾	-	0%	8%	0%	58%	8%	3.7m/s
11:00 ☾	-	0%	20%	0%	53%	20%	4.5m/s
12:00 ☾	-	0%	13%	0%	58%	13%	5.3m/s
13:00 ☾	-	0%	7%	0%	62%	7%	6.2m/s
14:00 ☾	-	0%	0%	0%	67%	0%	7m/s
15:00 ☾	-	0%	0%	0%	69%	0%	6.7m/s
16:00 ☾	-	0%	0%	0%	70%	0%	6.5m/s
17:00 ☾	-	0%	0%	0%	72%	0%	6.2m/s
18:00 ☾	-	0%	0%	0%	74%	0%	6.2m/s
19:00 ☾	-	0%	0%	0%	76%	0%	6.2m/s
20:00 ☾	-	0%	0%	0%	78%	0%	6.2m/s
21:00 ☾	-	0%	15%	0%	80%	15%	6.2m/s
22:00 ☾	-	0%	30%	0%	82%	30%	6.3m/s
23:00 ☾	-	0%	45%	0%	84%	45%	6.4m/s
Thu, Feb 26 Sunrise 07:01 Sunset 20:05
24:00 ☾	-	0%	31%	0%	84%	31%	5.4m/s
01:00 ☾	-	0%	17%	0%	85%	17%	4.4m/s
02:00 ☾	-	0%	2%	0%	85%	2%	3.4m/s
03:00 ☾	-	0%	32%	0%	79%	32%	3.6m/s
04:00 ☾	-	0%	62%	0%	73%	62%	3.8m/s
05:00 ☾	-	0%	92%	0%	67%	92%	4m/s

How to read: these inputs help produce the derived score; they are not requirements by themselves.

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