Vernazza - Dramatic Seascapes - Cinque Terre
Dramatic coastal photography conditions - powerful waves combined with atmospheric drama and good visibility for seascape shots.
No Dramatic Seascapes opportunities in the next 14 days
Tip: Scroll down to the 72-hour table to see exactly which condition fails hour by hour.
Currently
Real-time conditionsUpcoming Opportunities
When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.
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 when Mediterranean weather conditions create dramatic—but accessible—photography opportunities along the Cinque Terre coast. We monitor wind patterns, wave activity, cloud drama, and clearing conditions to predict photogenic coastal scenes.
While Cinque Terre experiences less extreme weather than Atlantic coasts, Mediterranean storms and scirocco winds can create compelling drama. The region's distinctive feature is how quickly conditions change—storm systems moving across the Ligurian Sea can bring dramatic clouds and seas, followed by rapid clearing that produces spectacular light.
What makes Cinque Terre special for coastal drama photography:
- Protected harbours versus exposed coast - Villages like Vernazza offer both sheltered bays and exposed clifftop perspectives
- Mediterranean contrast - Dramatic conditions are rarer here, making them more precious when they arrive
- Historic elements - Medieval towers, churches, and castles add narrative to storm scenes
- Rapid transformation - Quick clearing after storms often produces rainbow opportunities and dramatic light breaks
Vernazza's harbour becomes Cinque Terre's focal point for coastal drama—winter Mediterranean storms occasionally send waves crashing over the harbour wall, creating powerful scenes with the village and Doria Tower as backdrop. Monterosso's exposed beach position catches the strongest wave action during scirocco winds. The coastal walking paths between villages offer clifftop perspectives during dramatic conditions—particularly the Sentiero Azzurro sections. Portovenere's exposed position at the southern end catches more dramatic weather, with Byron's Grotto and the Church of San Pietro offering compelling storm compositions. Best drama occurs during autumn and winter storm systems (October-March), though spring weather fronts can also produce photogenic conditions. The Mediterranean rarely produces extreme danger, but wave surge at Vernazza harbour during peak storms requires caution. Our forecast helps identify conditions that are dramatic but safe—when clearing weather follows storm systems to provide both visual drama and improving light.
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72-hour requirements breakdown
What passed or failed, hour by hourTime Europe/Rome | Coastal Drama Score ≥ 75.0% | Significant Wave Height ≥ 1.5m | Visibility ≥ 5000.0m | Wind Gusts ≤ 22.0m/s | Precipitation Chance ≤ 30.0% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, May 17 | |||||
| 15:00 | 6.9% | 0.32m | 24134m | 3.1m/s | 0% |
| 16:00 | 10% | 0.37m | 24135m | 3.2m/s | 0% |
| 17:00 | 6.5% | 0.42m | 24135m | 3m/s | 0% |
| 18:00 | 7.6% | 0.41m | 24134m | 2.3m/s | 0% |
| 19:00 | 7.6% | 0.4m | 24134m | 2m/s | 0% |
| 20:00 | 9.2% | 0.37m | 24134m | 1.3m/s | 0% |
| 21:00 | 12% | 0.33m | 24134m | 1.1m/s | 0% |
| 22:00 | 11% | 0.29m | 24135m | 1.5m/s | 0% |
| 23:00 | 3.9% | 0.25m | 24134m | 1.4m/s | 0% |
| Mon, May 18 | |||||
| 24:00 | 3.9% | 0.23m | 24135m | 1.4m/s | 0% |
| 01:00 | 4.3% | 0.2m | 24135m | 1.5m/s | 0% |
| 02:00 | 2.8% | 0.34m | 24134m | 1.4m/s | 0% |
| 03:00 | 2.8% | 0.4m | 24134m | 1.4m/s | 8.7% |
| 04:00 | 2.8% | 0.47m | 24135m | 1.2m/s | 21% |
| 05:00 | 8.8% | 0.53m | 24134m | 1.1m/s | 32% |
| 06:00 | 15% | 0.3m | 24135m | 1.2m/s | 40% |
| 07:00 | 11% | 0.58m | 24134m | 1m/s | 48% |
| 08:00 | 9.8% | 0.54m | 24135m | 1.3m/s | 56% |
| 09:00 | 8.5% | 0.55m | 24135m | 2m/s | 56% |
| 10:00 | 8.5% | 0.71m | 24135m | 2.5m/s | 56% |
| 11:00 | 11% | 0.71m | 22290m | 2.9m/s | 56% |
| 12:00 | 7.7% | 0.75m | 20604m | 3.2m/s | 70% |
| 13:00 | 17% | 0.73m | 20382m | 3.5m/s | 84% |
| 14:00 | 6.5% | 0.52m | 20194m | 3.6m/s | 98% |
| 15:00 | 6.5% | 0.53m | 24134m | 3.4m/s | 94% |
| 16:00 | 7.8% | 0.55m | 24134m | 3.6m/s | 91% |
| 17:00 | 8.8% | 0.56m | 21450m | 3.6m/s | 88% |
| 18:00 | 8.3% | 0.55m | 24134m | 3.2m/s | 89% |
| 19:00 | 7.1% | 0.53m | 24134m | 3.3m/s | 89% |
| 20:00 | 10% | 0.52m | 24135m | 2.6m/s | 90% |
| 21:00 | 16% | 0.5m | 24135m | 1.1m/s | 86% |
| 22:00 | 15% | 0.49m | 24135m | 1.2m/s | 82% |
| 23:00 | 5.3% | 0.47m | 24135m | 1m/s | 78% |
| Tue, May 19 | |||||
| 24:00 | 3.8% | 0.45m | 20016m | 1.5m/s | 83% |
| 01:00 | 3.3% | 0.43m | 19731m | 1.8m/s | 88% |
| 02:00 | 2.6% | 0.41m | 10762m | 1.8m/s | 94% |
| 03:00 | 2.1% | 0.4m | 9158m | 2m/s | 80% |
| 04:00 | 3.1% | 0.4m | 11151m | 2.3m/s | 66% |
| 05:00 | 7.6% | 0.39m | 5693m | 2.1m/s | 52% |
| 06:00 | 5.8% | 0.38m | 3480m | 2.2m/s | 56% |
| 07:00 | 6.8% | 0.37m | 2277m | 2.3m/s | 60% |
| 08:00 | 9.6% | 0.36m | 23853m | 2.3m/s | 64% |
| 09:00 | 6.9% | 0.35m | 23438m | 2.6m/s | 45% |
| 10:00 | 5.9% | 0.34m | 21099m | 2.9m/s | 27% |
| 11:00 | 4.4% | 0.33m | 12162m | 3.4m/s | 8.3% |
| 12:00 | 4.6% | 0.32m | 9084m | 3.5m/s | 5.5% |
| 13:00 | 4.8% | 0.32m | 19636m | 3.5m/s | 2.8% |
| 14:00 | 5.5% | 0.31m | 23866m | 3.3m/s | 0% |
| 15:00 | 4.8% | 0.32m | 24018m | 2.8m/s | 0% |
| 16:00 | 5.9% | 0.33m | 24134m | 2.5m/s | 0% |
| 17:00 | 5.1% | 0.34m | 24134m | 2.3m/s | 0% |
| 18:00 | 9.9% | 0.36m | 24135m | 2.1m/s | 0% |
| 19:00 | 9.3% | 0.37m | 24134m | 1.8m/s | 0% |
| 20:00 | 17% | 0.39m | 24135m | 1.6m/s | 0% |
| 21:00 | 24% | 0.4m | 24134m | 0.6m/s | 0% |
| 22:00 | 21% | 0.4m | 24134m | 0.8m/s | 0% |
| 23:00 | 6% | 0.41m | 24135m | 0.9m/s | 0% |
| Wed, May 20 | |||||
| 24:00 | 6% | 0.4m | 24135m | 1.1m/s | 0% |
| 01:00 | 5.2% | 0.38m | 24134m | 1.3m/s | 0% |
| 02:00 | 6% | 0.37m | 24134m | 1.4m/s | 0% |
| 03:00 | 3.6% | 0.36m | 24135m | 1.5m/s | 0% |
| 04:00 | 3.4% | 0.34m | 24135m | 1.6m/s | 0% |
| 05:00 | 9.6% | 0.33m | 24135m | 1.7m/s | 0% |
| 06:00 | 11% | 0.33m | 24135m | 1.7m/s | 0% |
| 07:00 | 10% | 0.34m | 24135m | 1.5m/s | 0% |
| 08:00 | 8.3% | 0.34m | 24134m | 1.1m/s | 0% |
| 09:00 | 5% | 0.34m | 24134m | 1m/s | 13% |
| 10:00 | 7.3% | 0.35m | 24134m | 1.5m/s | 26% |
| 11:00 | 4.1% | 0.35m | 24135m | 2.4m/s | 39% |
| 12:00 | 4.1% | 0.34m | 24135m | 2.7m/s | 33% |
| 13:00 | 4.8% | 0.32m | 24135m | 2.4m/s | 28% |
| 14:00 | 5.6% | 0.31m | 24134m | 2.3m/s | 22% |
| 15:00 | 4.1% | 0.3m | 24135m | 2.2m/s | 15% |
| 16:00 | 5.8% | 0.28m | 22599m | 1.7m/s | 7.4% |
| 17:00 | 7.1% | 0.27m | 23487m | 1.4m/s | 0% |
| 18:00 | 8.3% | 0.28m | 23526m | 1.1m/s | 0% |
| 19:00 | 8.3% | 0.28m | 23950m | 1.2m/s | 0% |
| 20:00 | 8.5% | 0.29m | 24134m | 0.81m/s | 0% |
| 21:00 | 8% | 0.33m | 24134m | 1.1m/s | 0% |
| 22:00 | 7.1% | 0.36m | 24135m | 1.3m/s | 0% |
| 23:00 | 3.4% | 0.4m | 24135m | 1.5m/s | 0% |
| Thu, May 21 | |||||
| 24:00 | 3.4% | 0.38m | 24135m | 1.5m/s | 0% |
| 01:00 | 3.4% | 0.37m | 24135m | 1.5m/s | 0% |
| 02:00 | 3.4% | 0.35m | 24135m | 1.4m/s | 0% |
| 03:00 | 2.5% | 0.32m | 24135m | 1.4m/s | 0% |
| 04:00 | 2.4% | 0.29m | 24135m | 1.4m/s | 0% |
| 05:00 | 5.8% | 0.26m | 24135m | 1.3m/s | 0% |
| 06:00 | 7.7% | 0.24m | 24135m | 1.8m/s | 0% |
| 07:00 | 11% | 0.22m | 24135m | 2.2m/s | 0% |
| 08:00 | 9.2% | 0.2m | 24135m | 2.6m/s | 0% |
| 09:00 | 8.8% | 0.19m | 24135m | 2.5m/s | 0% |
| 10:00 | 6.8% | 0.18m | 24135m | 2.3m/s | 0% |
| 11:00 | 4.1% | 0.17m | 24135m | 2.1m/s | 0% |
| 12:00 | 4.1% | 0.19m | 24135m | 2.5m/s | 0% |
| 13:00 | 4.1% | 0.2m | 24135m | 2.9m/s | 0% |
What does Coastal Drama Score 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 Europe/Rome | High Clouds % | Low Clouds % | Mid-Level Clouds % | Primary Swell Height m | Primary Wave Direction ° | Sea Salt AOD (550nm) | Solar Elevation ° | Total Cloud Coverage % | Wind Direction ° | Wind Speed m/s | Wind Wave Height m | Wind Wave Period s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, May 18
Sunrise 05:52
Sunset 20:43 | ||||||||||||
| 16:00 | 7% | 10% | 100% | 0.4m | 343° | 0.05 | 48° | 100% | 186° | 3.1m/s | 0.35m | 4.2s |
| 17:00 | 72% | 29% | 100% | 0.37m | 341° | 0.05 | 38° | 100% | 186° | 2.8m/s | 0.42m | 4.1s |
| 18:00 | 9% | 22% | 100% | 0.33m | 309° | 0.06 | 27° | 100% | 183° | 2.4m/s | 0.43m | 4s |
| 19:00 | 6% | 14% | 100% | 0.29m | 278° | 0.06 | 17° | 100% | 172° | 2.2m/s | 0.45m | 3.8s |
| 20:00 | 3% | 27% | 80% | 0.25m | 246° | 0.06 | 6.5° | 80% | 152° | 1.6m/s | 0.46m | 3.6s |
| 21:00 ☾ | 1% | 62% | 13% | 0.22m | 241° | 0.06 | -3.2° | 62% | 102° | 1m/s | 0.45m | 3.6s |
| 22:00 ☾ | 2% | 30% | 53% | 0.19m | 236° | 0.06 | -12° | 57% | 76° | 1.1m/s | 0.45m | 3.6s |
| 23:00 ☾ | 0% | 69% | 22% | 0.16m | 232° | 0.06 | -19° | 69% | 70° | 1.1m/s | 0.44m | 3.7s |
| Tue, May 19
Sunrise 05:52
Sunset 20:43 | ||||||||||||
| 24:00 ☾ | 0% | 100% | 39% | 0.18m | 229° | 0.06 | -24° | 100% | 74° | 1.3m/s | 0.43m | 3.7s |
| 01:00 ☾ | 0% | 100% | 48% | 0.21m | 226° | 0.05 | -26° | 100% | 76° | 1.3m/s | 0.43m | 3.7s |
| 02:00 ☾ | 0% | 100% | 22% | 0.23m | 224° | 0.05 | -25° | 100% | 76° | 1.3m/s | 0.42m | 3.8s |
| 03:00 ☾ | 0% | 100% | 5% | 0.28m | 223° | 0.05 | -22° | 100% | 75° | 1.5m/s | 0.43m | 3.9s |
| 04:00 ☾ | 0% | 98% | 5% | 0.33m | 223° | 0.06 | -16° | 98% | 70° | 1.6m/s | 0.43m | 4.1s |
| 05:00 ☾ | 0% | 100% | 0% | 0.38m | 222° | 0.06 | -8.4° | 100% | 70° | 1.5m/s | 0.44m | 4.3s |
| 06:00 | 0% | 100% | 0% | 0.37m | 221° | 0.05 | 1° | 100% | 72° | 1.6m/s | 0.32m | 4.2s |
| 07:00 | 5% | 96% | 0% | 0.37m | 221° | 0.05 | 11° | 96% | 68° | 1.6m/s | 0.19m | 4.2s |
| 08:00 | 67% | 90% | 0% | 0.36m | 220° | 0.05 | 21° | 90% | 78° | 1.6m/s | 0.07m | 4.2s |
| 09:00 | 100% | 82% | 0% | 0.35m | 220° | 0.04 | 32° | 100% | 91° | 1.7m/s | 0.07m | 4.2s |
| 10:00 | 100% | 65% | 5% | 0.34m | 219° | 0.04 | 42° | 100% | 107° | 1.9m/s | 0.08m | 4.1s |
| 11:00 | 100% | 62% | 32% | 0.33m | 218° | 0.03 | 52° | 100% | 116° | 2.2m/s | 0.08m | 4.1s |
| 12:00 | 92% | 79% | 80% | 0.32m | 218° | 0.03 | 61° | 93% | 117° | 2.4m/s | 0.09m | 4.1s |
| 13:00 | 100% | 94% | 85% | 0.32m | 217° | 0.03 | 65° | 100% | 121° | 2.5m/s | 0.09m | 4.1s |
| 14:00 | 100% | 76% | 100% | 0.31m | 217° | 0.03 | 64° | 100% | 121° | 2.4m/s | 0.1m | 4.1s |
| 15:00 | 100% | 87% | 100% | 0.32m | 217° | - | 58° | 100% | 142° | 2.3m/s | 0.14m | 4.1s |
| 16:00 | 100% | 75% | 100% | 0.32m | 217° | - | 49° | 100% | 154° | 2.3m/s | 0.18m | 4.1s |
| 17:00 | 7% | 60% | 100% | 0.33m | 217° | - | 38° | 100% | 157° | 2.2m/s | 0.22m | 4.2s |
| 18:00 | 0% | 50% | 49% | 0.35m | 219° | - | 28° | 61% | 155° | 2.1m/s | 0.24m | 4.4s |
| 19:00 | 0% | 55% | 5% | 0.37m | 221° | - | 17° | 55% | 155° | 1.8m/s | 0.27m | 4.7s |
| 20:00 | 0% | 25% | 5% | 0.39m | 223° | - | 6.6° | 25% | 157° | 1.2m/s | 0.29m | 5s |
| 21:00 ☾ | 5% | 27% | 5% | 0.4m | 223° | - | -3° | 27% | 71° | 0.44m/s | 0.24m | 5.1s |
| 22:00 ☾ | 3% | 20% | 5% | 0.4m | 223° | - | -12° | 20% | 43° | 0.74m/s | 0.2m | 5.2s |
| 23:00 ☾ | 5% | 5% | 5% | 0.41m | 223° | - | -19° | 5% | 42° | 1.1m/s | 0.15m | 5.3s |
| Wed, May 20
Sunrise 05:51
Sunset 20:45 | ||||||||||||
| 24:00 ☾ | 0% | 0% | 1% | 0.4m | 222° | - | -24° | 1% | 27° | 1.4m/s | 0.13m | 5.2s |
| 01:00 ☾ | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0.38m | 222° | - | -26° | 2% | 12° | 1.6m/s | 0.11m | 5.1s |
| 02:00 ☾ | 4% | 0% | 0% | 0.37m | 221° | - | -25° | 4% | 19° | 1.7m/s | 0.09m | 5.1s |
| 03:00 ☾ | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0.35m | 221° | - | -22° | 0% | 23° | 1.8m/s | 0.09m | 5s |
| 04:00 ☾ | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0.34m | 220° | - | -16° | 0% | 23° | 2m/s | 0.09m | 4.9s |
| 05:00 ☾ | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0.32m | 219° | - | -8.2° | 0% | 17° | 2m/s | 0.09m | 4.8s |
| 06:00 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0.3m | 218° | - | 1.1° | 0% | 13° | 2m/s | 0.13m | 4.7s |
| 07:00 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0.28m | 217° | - | 11° | 0% | 17° | 1.7m/s | 0.16m | 4.7s |
| 08:00 | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0.26m | 216° | - | 21° | 1% | 39° | 0.84m/s | 0.2m | 4.6s |
| 09:00 | 5% | 0% | 2% | 0.24m | 214° | - | 32° | 5% | 123° | 0.61m/s | 0.22m | 4.5s |
| 10:00 | 48% | 0% | 80% | 0.21m | 212° | - | 43° | 80% | 174° | 1.1m/s | 0.24m | 4.4s |
| 11:00 | 1% | 0% | 100% | 0.19m | 210° | - | 53° | 100% | 174° | 2m/s | 0.26m | 4.3s |
| 12:00 | 2% | 0% | 100% | 0.19m | 236° | - | 61° | 100% | 186° | 2.6m/s | 0.25m | 4s |
| 13:00 | 0% | 9% | 17% | 0.2m | 263° | - | 66° | 19% | 197° | 2.7m/s | 0.25m | 3.7s |
| 14:00 | 0% | 21% | 5% | 0.2m | 289° | - | 64° | 21% | 200° | 2.8m/s | 0.24m | 3.4s |
| 15:00 | 0% | 17% | 0% | 0.2m | 200° | - | 58° | 17% | 200° | 2.7m/s | 0.22m | 3.4s |
| 16:00 | 0% | 14% | 0% | 0.21m | 111° | - | 49° | 14% | 198° | 2.4m/s | 0.19m | 3.3s |
| 17:00 | 0% | 2% | 0% | 0.21m | 22° | - | 38° | 2% | 200° | 1.9m/s | 0.17m | 3.3s |
| 18:00 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0.19m | 21° | - | 28° | 0% | 202° | 1.8m/s | 0.19m | 3.3s |
| 19:00 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0.18m | 20° | - | 17° | 0% | 203° | 1.4m/s | 0.21m | 3.4s |
| 20:00 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0.16m | 20° | - | 6.8° | 0% | 241° | 0.82m/s | 0.23m | 3.4s |
| 21:00 ☾ | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0.14m | 94° | - | -2.8° | 1% | 176° | 1.1m/s | 0.28m | 3.1s |
| 22:00 ☾ | 2% | 0% | 0% | 0.13m | 169° | - | -11° | 2% | 112° | 1.3m/s | 0.33m | 2.9s |
| 23:00 ☾ | 3% | 0% | 0% | 0.11m | 244° | - | -18° | 3% | 47° | 1.5m/s | 0.38m | 2.6s |
| Thu, May 21
Sunrise 05:50
Sunset 20:46 | ||||||||||||
| 24:00 ☾ | 3% | 0% | 0% | 0.11m | 244° | - | -23° | 3% | 53° | 1.5m/s | 0.36m | 2.6s |
| 01:00 ☾ | 4% | 0% | 0% | 0.1m | 244° | - | -26° | 4% | 60° | 1.5m/s | 0.35m | 2.7s |
| 02:00 ☾ | 4% | 0% | 0% | 0.1m | 244° | - | -25° | 4% | 66° | 1.4m/s | 0.33m | 2.7s |
| 03:00 ☾ | 5% | 0% | 0% | 0.14m | 240° | - | -22° | 5% | 127° | 1.4m/s | 0.24m | 2.9s |
| 04:00 ☾ | 5% | 0% | 0% | 0.18m | 236° | - | -16° | 5% | 189° | 1.4m/s | 0.14m | 3.1s |
| 05:00 ☾ | 5% | 0% | 0% | 0.22m | 232° | - | -8.1° | 5% | 250° | 1.4m/s | 0.05m | 3.3s |
| 06:00 | 13% | 0% | 0% | 0.2m | 228° | - | 1.3° | 13% | 253° | 1.8m/s | 0.07m | 3.6s |
| 07:00 | 21% | 0% | 0% | 0.17m | 224° | - | 11° | 21% | 256° | 2.2m/s | 0.08m | 4s |
| 08:00 | 30% | 0% | 0% | 0.15m | 220° | - | 21° | 30% | 258° | 2.6m/s | 0.1m | 4.3s |
| 09:00 | 53% | 0% | 0% | 0.13m | 220° | - | 32° | 53% | 276° | 2.4m/s | 0.1m | 4.3s |
| 10:00 | 77% | 0% | 0% | 0.12m | 220° | - | 43° | 77% | 294° | 2.2m/s | 0.1m | 4.2s |
| 11:00 | 100% | 0% | 0% | 0.1m | 220° | - | 53° | 100% | 312° | 2m/s | 0.1m | 4.2s |
| 12:00 | 100% | 0% | 0% | 0.1m | 251° | - | 61° | 100% | 316° | 2.4m/s | 0.12m | 4.1s |
| 13:00 | 100% | 0% | 0% | 0.11m | 283° | - | 66° | 100% | 320° | 2.9m/s | 0.14m | 4.1s |
| 14:00 | 100% | 0% | 0% | 0.11m | 314° | - | 65° | 100% | 324° | 3.3m/s | 0.16m | 4.1s |
| 15:00 | 100% | 0% | 2% | 0.17m | 222° | - | 58° | 100% | 332° | 3.6m/s | 0.16m | 4.1s |
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