Rule
Fire Sky
Sydney - Fire Sky - Australian Coast
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Those rare, intensely red and orange sunset skies
No opportunities right now
Here’s what usually blocks matches
No Fire Sky opportunities in the next 14 days
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Rule requirements (key thresholds)
Golden Hour · Any Fiery Red Sky Potential · ≥ 65.0% Precipitation Chance · ≤ 15.0% Visibility · ≥ 8000.0m
Tip: Scroll down to the 72-hour table to see exactly which condition fails hour by hour.
Most common blockers (next 72 hours)
Fiery Red Sky Potential 100% failing
Golden Hour 83% failing
Precipitation Chance 82% failing
Currently
Real-time conditionsLow Cloud Cover100%
Mid Cloud Cover96%
High Cloud Cover88%
Aerosol Optical Depth0.1
Sun Elevation-9.1° (Nautical twilight)
Upcoming Opportunities
When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.
Times shown in Australia/Sydney
No opportunities in the next 10 days
See the blocker timeline below to understand which conditions are preventing matches.
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 hour0matching hours in the next 95 hours
AND logic: all conditions required
Meets requirement
Misses requirement
Time Australia/Sydney | Golden Hour Any | Fiery Red Sky Potential ≥ 65.0% | Precipitation Chance ≤ 15.0% | Visibility ≥ 8000.0m |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, May 18 | ||||
| 05:00 | ✕ | 14% | 17% | 24135m |
| 06:00 | ✓ | 6.3% | 39% | 24135m |
| 07:00 | ✓ | 16% | 39% | 24134m |
| 08:00 | ✕ | 6% | 51% | 24135m |
| 09:00 | ✕ | 6.2% | 62% | 24135m |
| 10:00 | ✕ | 6.2% | 74% | 24134m |
| 11:00 | ✕ | 18% | 77% | 24134m |
| 12:00 | ✕ | 6.1% | 85% | 24135m |
| 13:00 | ✕ | 11% | 91% | 24134m |
| 14:00 | ✕ | 11% | 94% | 24135m |
| 15:00 | ✕ | 11% | 97% | 23510m |
| 16:00 | ✓ | 11% | 100% | 24135m |
| 17:00 | ✓ | 13% | 98% | 20251m |
| 18:00 | ✕ | 9.6% | 99% | 10179m |
| 19:00 | ✕ | 11% | 99% | 24135m |
| 20:00 | ✕ | 11% | 99% | 15402m |
| 21:00 | ✕ | 11% | 100% | 21568m |
| 22:00 | ✕ | 10% | 100% | 9525m |
| 23:00 | ✕ | 11% | 96% | 12984m |
| Tue, May 19 | ||||
| 24:00 | ✕ | 12% | 91% | 19115m |
| 01:00 | ✕ | 12% | 87% | 16664m |
| 02:00 | ✕ | 12% | 90% | 21898m |
| 03:00 | ✕ | 14% | 93% | 11359m |
| 04:00 | ✕ | 11% | 96% | 18316m |
| 05:00 | ✕ | 21% | 89% | 15524m |
| 06:00 | ✓ | 9.2% | 83% | 21720m |
| 07:00 | ✓ | 12% | 77% | 22994m |
| 08:00 | ✕ | 8.8% | 82% | 24135m |
| 09:00 | ✕ | 13% | 86% | 24134m |
| 10:00 | ✕ | 5.4% | 91% | 8741m |
| 11:00 | ✕ | 9.6% | 92% | 9716m |
| 12:00 | ✕ | 6.9% | 92% | 14284m |
| 13:00 | ✕ | 11% | 93% | 24135m |
| 14:00 | ✕ | 14% | 94% | 24135m |
| 15:00 | ✕ | 12% | 95% | 19265m |
| 16:00 | ✓ | 12% | 96% | 18973m |
| 17:00 | ✓ | 15% | 77% | 22159m |
| 18:00 | ✕ | 19% | 58% | 24135m |
| 19:00 | ✕ | 14% | 39% | 19401m |
| 20:00 | ✕ | 7.1% | 34% | 12025m |
| 21:00 | ✕ | 12% | 30% | 22594m |
| 22:00 | ✕ | 9.5% | 26% | 24135m |
| 23:00 | ✕ | 9.6% | 17% | 24135m |
| Wed, May 20 | ||||
| 24:00 | ✕ | 28% | 8.7% | 24134m |
| 01:00 | ✕ | 6.6% | 0% | 24134m |
| 02:00 | ✕ | 7.5% | 13% | 24135m |
| 03:00 | ✕ | 13% | 26% | 24135m |
| 04:00 | ✕ | 7.5% | 39% | 24134m |
| 05:00 | ✕ | 6.2% | 26% | 24135m |
| 06:00 | ✓ | 7.5% | 13% | 24135m |
| 07:00 | ✓ | 35% | 0% | 24134m |
| 08:00 | ✕ | 17% | 7.4% | 24135m |
| 09:00 | ✕ | 11% | 15% | 24134m |
| 10:00 | ✕ | 17% | 22% | 24135m |
| 11:00 | ✕ | 13% | 15% | 24134m |
| 12:00 | ✕ | 1% | 8% | 24135m |
| 13:00 | ✕ | 0.8% | 0.91% | 24134m |
| 14:00 | ✕ | 0.1% | 0.61% | 24135m |
| 15:00 | ✕ | 0% | 0.3% | 24135m |
| 16:00 | ✓ | 12% | 0% | 24134m |
| 17:00 | ✓ | 37% | 13% | 24135m |
| 18:00 | ✕ | 6.4% | 26% | 24135m |
| 19:00 | ✕ | 5% | 39% | 24135m |
| 20:00 | ✕ | 6.2% | 45% | 24135m |
| 21:00 | ✕ | 8% | 50% | 24135m |
| 22:00 | ✕ | 18% | 56% | 24135m |
| 23:00 | ✕ | 12% | 44% | 24135m |
| Thu, May 21 | ||||
| 24:00 | ✕ | 5.3% | 32% | 24134m |
| 01:00 | ✕ | 7.8% | 20% | 24134m |
| 02:00 | ✕ | 3.3% | 27% | 24135m |
| 03:00 | ✕ | 5.5% | 33% | 19384m |
| 04:00 | ✕ | 0.5% | 39% | 24134m |
| 05:00 | ✕ | 0.3% | 39% | 24135m |
| 06:00 | ✓ | 1.7% | 39% | 24134m |
| 07:00 | ✓ | 26% | 39% | 24134m |
| 08:00 | ✕ | 0% | 35% | 24134m |
| 09:00 | ✕ | 18% | 30% | 24135m |
| 10:00 | ✕ | 12% | 26% | 24135m |
| 11:00 | ✕ | 0% | 34% | 22852m |
| 12:00 | ✕ | 0% | 42% | 21569m |
| 13:00 | ✕ | 0% | 50% | 20286m |
| 14:00 | ✕ | 0% | 58% | 21569m |
| 15:00 | ✕ | 0% | 66% | 22852m |
| 16:00 | ✓ | 0% | 74% | 24135m |
| 17:00 | ✓ | 23% | 68% | 24135m |
| 18:00 | ✕ | 0% | 62% | 24135m |
| 19:00 | ✕ | 0% | 56% | 24135m |
| 20:00 | ✕ | 0% | 60% | 24135m |
| 21:00 | ✕ | 0% | 64% | 24135m |
| 22:00 | ✕ | 0% | 69% | 24135m |
| 23:00 | ✕ | 0% | 73% | 24135m |
| Fri, May 22 | ||||
| 24:00 | ✕ | 0% | 77% | 24135m |
| 01:00 | ✕ | 0% | 82% | 24135m |
| 02:00 | ✕ | 0% | 82% | 24135m |
| 03:00 | ✕ | 0% | 82% | 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/Sydney | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, May 19
Sunrise 06:42
Sunset 17:00 | ||||||||||||
| 06:00 ☾ | 0.06 | 0% | 2% | 0 | - | 88% | 100% | 96% | 97% | 0.02 | -9.1° | 0seconds |
| 07:00 ☾ | 0.06 | 0% | 3% | 0 | - | 0% | 100% | 98% | 96% | 0.01 | 2.7° | 0seconds |
| 08:00 ☾ | 0.07 | 0% | 3% | 0 | - | 0% | 100% | 75% | 97% | 0.02 | 13° | 0seconds |
| 09:00 ☾ | 0.07 | 0% | 2% | 0 | - | 0% | 100% | 46% | 99% | 0.02 | 23° | 0seconds |
| 10:00 | 0.08 | 0% | 2% | 0 | - | 0% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 0.02 | 30° | 0seconds |
| 11:00 | 0.08 | 0% | 5% | 0 | - | 0% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 0.02 | 35° | 0seconds |
| 12:00 | 0.08 | 0% | 8% | 0 | - | 0% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 0.02 | 36° | 0seconds |
| 13:00 | 0.08 | 0% | 11% | 0 | - | 0% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 0.02 | 34° | 0seconds |
| 14:00 | 0.09 | 0% | 12% | 0 | - | 0% | 100% | 93% | 99% | 0.02 | 28° | 0seconds |
| 15:00 | 0.11 | 1% | 13% | 0 | - | 0% | 100% | 72% | 99% | 0.02 | 20° | 0seconds |
| 16:00 | 0.08 | 1% | 14% | 0 | - | 0% | 100% | 98% | 99% | 0.02 | 10° | 0seconds |
| 17:00 ☾ | 0.05 | 1% | 15% | 0 | - | 0% | 100% | 84% | 97% | 0.01 | -0.39° | 0seconds |
| 18:00 ☾ | 0.03 | 1% | 15% | 0 | - | 0% | 97% | 61% | 95% | 0.008 | -13° | 0seconds |
| 19:00 ☾ | 0.02 | 1% | 16% | 0 | - | 0% | 74% | 34% | 93% | 0.006 | -25° | 0seconds |
| 20:00 ☾ | 0.02 | 1% | 15% | 0 | - | 0% | 82% | 15% | 95% | 0.006 | -37° | 0seconds |
| 21:00 ☾ | 0.02 | 0% | 15% | 0 | - | 0% | 93% | 63% | 97% | 0.005 | -50° | 0seconds |
| 22:00 ☾ | 0.03 | 0% | 14% | 0 | - | 2% | 100% | 99% | 99% | 0.006 | -62° | 0seconds |
| 23:00 ☾ | - | 5% | 19% | - | - | 8% | 78% | 97% | 96% | - | -72° | 0seconds |
| Wed, May 20
Sunrise 06:43
Sunset 16:59 | ||||||||||||
| 24:00 ☾ | - | 10% | 24% | - | - | 5% | 19% | 31% | 92% | - | -76° | 0seconds |
| 01:00 ☾ | - | 15% | 29% | - | - | 5% | 8% | 85% | 88% | - | -69° | 0seconds |
| 02:00 ☾ | - | 19% | 28% | - | - | 0% | 5% | 8% | 69% | - | -58° | 0seconds |
| 03:00 ☾ | - | 23% | 26% | - | - | 0% | 18% | 0% | 50% | - | -46° | 0seconds |
| 04:00 ☾ | - | 27% | 25% | - | - | 0% | 32% | 0% | 30% | - | -34° | 0seconds |
| 05:00 ☾ | - | 41% | 26% | - | - | 0% | 4% | 0% | 31% | - | -21° | 0seconds |
| 06:00 ☾ | - | 56% | 27% | - | - | 0% | 5% | 0% | 32% | - | -9.3° | 0seconds |
| 07:00 ☾ | - | 70% | 28% | - | - | 0% | 3% | 0% | 34% | - | 2.5° | 0seconds |
| 08:00 ☾ | - | 65% | 27% | - | - | 0% | 5% | 0% | 27% | - | 13° | 0seconds |
| 09:00 ☾ | - | 61% | 26% | - | - | 0% | 2% | 0% | 20% | - | 22° | 0seconds |
| 10:00 | - | 56% | 25% | - | - | 0% | 3% | 2% | 13% | - | 30° | 0seconds |
| 11:00 | - | 47% | 28% | - | - | 0% | 38% | 5% | 12% | - | 35° | 3600seconds |
| 12:00 | - | 37% | 30% | - | - | 0% | 85% | 5% | 12% | - | 36° | 3600seconds |
| 13:00 | - | 28% | 33% | - | - | 0% | 92% | 5% | 12% | - | 34° | 3600seconds |
| 14:00 | - | 30% | 31% | - | - | 0% | 100% | 0% | 21% | - | 28° | 3600seconds |
| 15:00 | - | 33% | 28% | - | - | 0% | 100% | 0% | 30% | - | 20° | 3600seconds |
| 16:00 | - | 35% | 26% | - | - | 0% | 9% | 0% | 39% | - | 10° | 3600seconds |
| 17:00 ☾ | - | 54% | 21% | - | - | 0% | 4% | 0% | 40% | - | -0.56° | 0seconds |
| 18:00 ☾ | - | 74% | 17% | - | - | 0% | 1% | 0% | 41% | - | -13° | 0seconds |
| 19:00 ☾ | - | 93% | 12% | - | - | 0% | 0% | 0% | 42% | - | -25° | 0seconds |
| 20:00 ☾ | - | 92% | 12% | - | - | 0% | 3% | 1% | 40% | - | -37° | 0seconds |
| 21:00 ☾ | - | 91% | 13% | - | - | 0% | 56% | 0% | 38% | - | -50° | 0seconds |
| 22:00 ☾ | - | 90% | 13% | - | - | 0% | 86% | 0% | 37% | - | -62° | 0seconds |
| 23:00 ☾ | - | 79% | 19% | - | - | 0% | 36% | 0% | 45% | - | -72° | 0seconds |
| Thu, May 21
Sunrise 06:43
Sunset 16:59 | ||||||||||||
| 24:00 ☾ | - | 69% | 26% | - | - | 0% | 18% | 0% | 53% | - | -76° | 0seconds |
| 01:00 ☾ | - | 58% | 32% | - | - | 0% | 56% | 2% | 62% | - | -70° | 0seconds |
| 02:00 ☾ | - | 55% | 29% | - | - | 0% | 100% | 0% | 50% | - | -58° | 0seconds |
| 03:00 ☾ | - | 51% | 26% | - | - | 0% | 100% | 0% | 39% | - | -46° | 0seconds |
| 04:00 ☾ | - | 48% | 23% | - | - | 0% | 100% | 0% | 28% | - | -34° | 0seconds |
| 05:00 ☾ | - | 47% | 25% | - | - | 0% | 98% | 0% | 21% | - | -21° | 0seconds |
| 06:00 ☾ | - | 46% | 26% | - | - | 0% | 93% | 0% | 14% | - | -9.4° | 0seconds |
| 07:00 ☾ | - | 45% | 28% | - | - | 0% | 59% | 0% | 6.6% | - | 2.4° | 0seconds |
| 08:00 ☾ | - | 42% | 25% | - | - | 0% | 65% | 0% | 6.9% | - | 13° | 0seconds |
| 09:00 ☾ | - | 40% | 23% | - | - | 0% | 16% | 0% | 7.2% | - | 22° | 0seconds |
| 10:00 | - | 37% | 20% | - | - | 0% | 0% | 0% | 7.5% | - | 30° | 0seconds |
| 11:00 | - | 40% | 24% | - | - | 0% | 33% | 0% | 9% | - | 35° | 0seconds |
| 12:00 | - | 44% | 29% | - | - | 0% | 65% | 0% | 11% | - | 36° | 0seconds |
| 13:00 | - | 47% | 33% | - | - | 0% | 98% | 0% | 12% | - | 34° | 0seconds |
| 14:00 | - | 49% | 33% | - | - | 0% | 90% | 0% | 13% | - | 28° | 0seconds |
| 15:00 | - | 52% | 34% | - | - | 0% | 82% | 0% | 15% | - | 20° | 0seconds |
| 16:00 | - | 54% | 34% | - | - | 0% | 74% | 0% | 16% | - | 10° | 0seconds |
| 17:00 ☾ | - | 53% | 36% | - | - | 0% | 82% | 0% | 17% | - | -0.71° | 0seconds |
| 18:00 ☾ | - | 52% | 37% | - | - | 0% | 91% | 0% | 17% | - | -13° | 0seconds |
| 19:00 ☾ | - | 51% | 39% | - | - | 0% | 100% | 0% | 18% | - | -25° | 0seconds |
| 20:00 ☾ | - | 48% | 37% | - | - | 0% | 100% | 0% | 17% | - | -37° | 0seconds |
| 21:00 ☾ | - | 45% | 35% | - | - | 0% | 100% | 0% | 16% | - | -50° | 0seconds |
| 22:00 ☾ | - | 42% | 33% | - | - | 0% | 100% | 0% | 15% | - | -62° | 0seconds |
| 23:00 ☾ | - | 34% | 31% | - | - | 0% | 95% | 0% | 16% | - | -72° | 0seconds |
| Fri, May 22
Sunrise 06:44
Sunset 16:58 | ||||||||||||
| 24:00 ☾ | - | 27% | 29% | - | - | 0% | 91% | 0% | 16% | - | -76° | 0seconds |
| 01:00 ☾ | - | 19% | 27% | - | - | 0% | 86% | 0% | 17% | - | -70° | 0seconds |
| 02:00 ☾ | - | 17% | 26% | - | - | 0% | 78% | 0% | 16% | - | -59° | 0seconds |
| 03:00 ☾ | - | 16% | 25% | - | - | 0% | 70% | 0% | 15% | - | -46° | 0seconds |
| 04:00 ☾ | - | 14% | 24% | - | - | 0% | 62% | 0% | 15% | - | -34° | 0seconds |
| 05:00 ☾ | - | 12% | 24% | - | - | 0% | 72% | 0% | 13% | - | -22° | 1200seconds |
How to read: these inputs help produce the derived score; they are not requirements by themselves.
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