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Rule Dramatic Seascapes

Diamond Beach - Dramatic Seascapes - Iceland Coast

Hofn, East, Iceland

Dramatic coastal photography conditions - powerful waves combined with atmospheric drama and good visibility for seascape shots.

No opportunities right now
Here’s what usually blocks matches

No Dramatic Seascapes opportunities in the next 14 days

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Rule requirements (key thresholds)
Coastal Drama Score · ≥ 75.0% Significant Wave Height · ≥ 1.5m Visibility · ≥ 5000.0m Wind Gusts · ≤ 22.0m/s

Tip: Scroll down to the 72-hour table to see exactly which condition fails hour by hour.

Most common blockers (next 72 hours)
Coastal Drama Score 100% failing
Significant Wave Height 100% failing
Wind Gusts 50% failing

Upcoming Opportunities

When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.

Times shown in Atlantic/Reykjavik

No opportunities in the next 14 days

See the blocker timeline below to understand which conditions are preventing matches.

What this forecast looks for

Plain-language explanation from the rule

This forecast identifies when dramatic conditions align for photography along Iceland's otherworldly coastline. We track cloud drama, visibility, and wind patterns to predict when Atlantic storms create the most photogenic conditions.

Iceland's coastline offers landscapes found nowhere else on Earth—black volcanic sand, basalt columns, sea stacks, glacial icebergs washed ashore, and some of the world's most powerful waves. The interplay between North Atlantic weather and this volcanic shore creates constantly changing drama.

What makes Iceland's coast special for dramatic photography:

  • Unique geology - Black sand beaches, columnar basalt, and volcanic formations unlike anywhere else
  • Extreme contrast - Dark sand against white waves, blue icebergs, and stormy skies
  • Powerful seas - North Atlantic waves create dramatic action (but demand respect and safe distances)
  • Arctic light - Long golden hours and dramatic weather fronts

Dramatic conditions peak during autumn and winter storms (September-March), though Iceland can deliver drama year-round. The key is balancing dramatic weather with workable shooting conditions. Our forecast helps identify windows when storms have passed but interesting skies and waves remain. Always maintain safe distances from the waves at Reynisfjara and Diamond Beach—sneaker waves are genuinely dangerous.

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72-hour requirements breakdown

What passed or failed, hour by hour
0matching hours in the next 72 hours
AND logic: all conditions required
Meets requirement
Misses requirement
Time
Atlantic/Reykjavik
Coastal Drama Score
≥ 75.0%
Significant Wave Height
≥ 1.5m
Visibility
≥ 5000.0m
Wind Gusts
≤ 22.0m/s
Precipitation Chance
≤ 30.0%
Sun, Jan 11
12:0022%0.33m33960m18m/s6%
13:0023%0.35m50000m19m/s5%
14:0033%0.36m32660m21m/s4%
15:0023%0.38m36060m22m/s4%
16:0023%0.38m36900m23m/s3%
17:0022%0.37m37920m25m/s3%
18:005.9%0.37m5060m26m/s6%
19:007.1%0.37m50000m26m/s14%
20:007.1%0.36m50000m24m/s24%
21:007.1%0.36m39460m27m/s35%
22:005.3%0.39m5760m28m/s45%
23:005.3%0.42m5540m28m/s55%
Mon, Jan 12
24:005.7%0.45m5360m32m/s63%
01:005.7%0.5m6240m36m/s68%
02:006.1%0.54m8160m38m/s70%
03:007.9%0.59m50000m40m/s71%
04:006.1%0.6m7360m41m/s71%
05:007.9%0.62m47540m40m/s70%
06:007.9%0.63m48540m39m/s67%
07:007.9%0.63m50000m39m/s63%
08:007.3%0.63m50000m38m/s58%
09:0021%0.63m50000m36m/s53%
10:0024%0.64m50000m33m/s47%
11:0031%0.66m50000m31m/s41%
12:0032%0.67m50000m29m/s35%
13:0022%0.67m50000m29m/s31%
14:0022%0.68m50000m28m/s27%
15:0022%0.68m50000m27m/s24%
16:0022%0.65m50000m27m/s22%
17:0022%0.63m50000m28m/s21%
18:006.9%0.6m50000m28m/s20%
19:004.5%0.6m50000m28m/s20%
20:004.7%0.59m50000m26m/s19%
21:004.3%0.59m50000m24m/s20%
22:005.7%0.59m50000m24m/s22%
23:005.7%0.59m50000m25m/s24%
Tue, Jan 13
24:004.1%0.59m50000m24m/s25%
01:003.9%0.62m50000m19m/s25%
02:003.4%0.65m50000m18m/s24%
03:005.5%0.68m50000m18m/s22%
04:003.4%0.72m50000m19m/s20%
05:004.1%0.75m50000m21m/s17%
06:003.3%0.79m50000m22m/s14%
07:004.1%0.82m50000m22m/s12%
08:006.5%0.84m50000m23m/s11%
09:0021%0.87m38210m21m/s10%
10:0027%0.87m42090m19m/s8%
11:0014%0.86m27980m17m/s6%
12:0015%0.86m23900m13m/s4%
13:0012%0.84m63140m7.4m/s3%
14:0010%0.81m63140m5.2m/s2%
15:0013%0.79m63140m5.3m/s2%
16:0013%0.78m77640m4.7m/s2%
17:0011%0.78m77640m4.5m/s2%
18:009.8%0.77m77620m4m/s2%
19:002.9%0.76m77620m3.4m/s2%
20:002.3%0.76m77620m3.2m/s2%
21:002.3%0.75m63140m3.7m/s2%
22:002.3%0.75m59620m4.8m/s2%
23:003.9%0.76m56340m6.3m/s2%
Wed, Jan 14
24:003.4%0.76m51880m7m/s2%
01:004.7%0.77m49840m6.8m/s2%
02:004.3%0.78m30540m6.2m/s2%
03:004.7%0.79m30680m6.6m/s2%
04:004.7%0.78m30680m6.6m/s2%
05:004.7%0.78m30680m6.1m/s2%
06:004.7%0.77m39460m6.5m/s2%
07:004.7%0.75m39440m6.2m/s3%
08:004.7%0.72m39440m5.3m/s3%
09:0014%0.7m52540m5.3m/s4%
10:0024%0.67m52540m5.2m/s4%
11:0019%0.65m47660m4.7m/s4%
How to read: colored cells show whether each predicate requirement is met; highlighted rows mean the full rule matched (an opportunity).

What does Coastal Drama Score 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
Atlantic/Reykjavik
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
Sun, Jan 11 Sunrise 10:38 Sunset 15:39
13:00
94% 3% 100% 0.07m 351° 0.02 4.2° 100% 35° 13m/s 0.34m 2.3s
14:00
54% 1% 3% 0.08m 354° 0.02 3.6° 56% 35° 15m/s 0.36m 2.3s
15:00
100% 1% 0% 0.08m 356° 0.02 1.7° 100% 32° 15m/s 0.37m 2.4s
16:00
99% 7% 16% 0.08m 357° 0.02 -2° 100% 32° 16m/s 0.37m 2.4s
17:00
100% 12% 47% 0.09m 357° 0.02 -6.7° 100% 33° 18m/s 0.37m 2.4s
18:00
100% 39% 100% 0.09m 358° 0.01 -12° 100% 29° 19m/s 0.37m 2.4s
19:00
100% 54% 100% 0.09m 356° 0.01 -18° 100% 18° 17m/s 0.36m 2.4s
20:00
97% 45% 100% 0.1m 354° 0.01 -25° 100% 13° 16m/s 0.36m 2.4s
21:00
100% 68% 100% 0.1m 352° 0.01 -31° 100% 14° 19m/s 0.35m 2.4s
22:00
100% 79% 100% 0.1m 352° 0.009 -37° 100% 12° 19m/s 0.38m 2.4s
23:00
93% 70% 100% 0.1m 351° 0.008 -42° 100% 11° 19m/s 0.41m 2.4s
Mon, Jan 12 Sunrise 10:36 Sunset 15:42
24:00
100% 57% 100% 0.1m 351° 0.008 -46° 100% 12° 22m/s 0.44m 2.4s
01:00
100% 54% 100% 0.11m 349° 0.009 -47° 100% 12° 25m/s 0.49m 2.5s
02:00
100% 56% 100% 0.11m 347° 0.01 -47° 100% 10° 27m/s 0.53m 2.7s
03:00
100% 36% 100% 0.12m 345° 0.01 -44° 100% 11° 28m/s 0.58m 2.8s
04:00
100% 51% 100% 0.12m 345° 0.009 -39° 100% 10° 28m/s 0.59m 2.8s
05:00
100% 70% 100% 0.12m 346° 0.009 -33° 100% 27m/s 0.61m 2.9s
06:00
100% 40% 100% 0.12m 346° 0.008 -27° 100% 27m/s 0.62m 3s
07:00
95% 11% 95% 0.12m 347° 0.008 -20° 100% 26m/s 0.62m 3s
08:00
97% 3% 78% 0.11m 347° 0.009 -14° 99% 355° 25m/s 0.62m 3s
09:00
98% 2% 13% 0.11m 348° 0.009 -8.2° 99% 347° 22m/s 0.62m 3s
10:00
97% 3% 4% 0.11m 348° 0.01 -3.2° 97% 342° 21m/s 0.63m 3s
11:00
65% 3% 0% 0.12m 347° 0.01 0.97° 66% 335° 20m/s 0.65m 3s
12:00
53% 1% 0% 0.12m 347° 0.01 3.3° 54% 325° 20m/s 0.66m 3s
13:00
100% 0% 0% 0.14m 346° 0.01 4.3° 100% 324° 19m/s 0.66m 3s
14:00
100% 0% 9% 0.16m 345° 0.01 3.8° 100% 333° 18m/s 0.67m 3s
15:00
100% 0% 0% 0.18m 344° 0.01 1.8° 100% 336° 18m/s 0.67m 3.1s
16:00
99% 0% 0% 0.21m 343° 0.01 -1.8° 99% 338° 19m/s 0.64m 3s
17:00
92% 0% 0% 0.24m 342° 0.01 -6.6° 93% 341° 19m/s 0.61m 3s
18:00
100% 0% 0% 0.27m 341° 0.01 -12° 100% 344° 19m/s 0.58m 3s
19:00
100% 0% 0% 0.28m 229° 0.01 -18° 100% 346° 18m/s 0.57m 3.3s
20:00
99% 0% 0% 0.29m 116° 0.009 -25° 99% 349° 17m/s 0.57m 3.6s
21:00
91% 0% 0% 0.3m 4.4° 0.007 -31° 91% 349° 16m/s 0.56m 3.9s
22:00
38% 0% 0% 0.3m 3.5° 0.006 -37° 38% 350° 16m/s 0.56m 3.9s
23:00
41% 0% 0% 0.3m 2.6° 0.006 -42° 41% 347° 17m/s 0.56m 3.9s
Tue, Jan 13 Sunrise 10:34 Sunset 15:45
24:00
1% 0% 0% 0.3m 1.6° 0.007 -46° 1% 341° 13m/s 0.56m 3.8s
01:00
0% 0% 0% 0.31m 113° - -47° 0% 339° 12m/s 0.59m 3.6s
02:00
0% 1% 0% 0.32m 223° - -46° 1% 332° 12m/s 0.62m 3.3s
03:00
0% 1% 0% 0.33m 334° - -43° 1% 333° 12m/s 0.65m 3s
04:00
0% 1% 0% 0.34m 225° - -39° 1% 331° 12m/s 0.69m 3.4s
05:00
0% 1% 0% 0.36m 115° - -33° 1% 335° 14m/s 0.72m 3.8s
06:00
0% 1% 0% 0.37m - -27° 1% 336° 13m/s 0.76m 4.2s
07:00
0% 1% 0% 0.32m 118° - -20° 1% 331° 14m/s 0.79m 3.9s
08:00
0% 1% 0% 0.27m 230° - -14° 1% 326° 16m/s 0.81m 3.6s
09:00
0% 25% 2% 0.22m 343° - -8.1° 27% 336° 15m/s 0.84m 3.3s
10:00
0% 50% 23% 0.22m 235° - -3.1° 73% 338° 13m/s 0.84m 3.7s
11:00
0% 74% 8% 0.22m 127° - 1.1° 81% 338° 11m/s 0.83m 4s
12:00
0% 65% 0% 0.22m 18° - 3.5° 65% 325° 5m/s 0.83m 4.4s
13:00
0% 13% 0% 0.23m 21° - 4.5° 13% 259° 3.2m/s 0.8m 4.4s
14:00
0% 1% 0% 0.23m 24° - 1% 236° 3.2m/s 0.78m 4.4s
15:00
0% 0% 0% 0.24m 27° - 0% 229° 2.8m/s 0.75m 4.3s
16:00
0% 0% 0% 0.24m 27° - -1.6° 0% 232° 2.7m/s 0.74m 4.3s
17:00
0% 0% 1% 0.24m 28° - -6.4° 1% 237° 2.3m/s 0.74m 4.3s
18:00
0% 3% 9% 0.24m 29° - -12° 10% 265° 1.8m/s 0.73m 4.3s
19:00
0% 2% 3% 0.24m 30° - -18° 4% 324° 1.2m/s 0.72m 4.3s
20:00
0% 0% 0% 0.24m 31° - -25° 0% 1.6m/s 0.72m 4.3s
21:00
0% 1% 0% 0.24m 32° - -31° 1% 2m/s 0.71m 4.3s
22:00
0% 0% 0% 0.29m 31° - -37° 0% 18° 2.9m/s 0.72m 4.3s
23:00
0% 36% 0% 0.33m 30° - -42° 36% 16° 4.1m/s 0.72m 4.3s
Wed, Jan 14 Sunrise 10:32 Sunset 15:48
24:00
0% 77% 0% 0.38m 29° - -46° 77% 15° 4.3m/s 0.73m 4.3s
01:00
0% 68% 0% 0.37m 138° - -47° 68% 10° 3.8m/s 0.74m 4s
02:00
0% 24% 2% 0.35m 247° - -46° 25% 3.7m/s 0.76m 3.6s
03:00
0% 0% 0% 0.34m 355° - -43° 0% 15° 4.1m/s 0.77m 3.3s
04:00
0% 0% 0% 0.33m 356° - -39° 0% 13° 3.4m/s 0.77m 3.3s
05:00
0% 0% 0% 0.31m 357° - -33° 0% 12° 3.8m/s 0.76m 3.3s
06:00
0% 0% 0% 0.3m 357° - -27° 0% 22° 3.8m/s 0.76m 3.2s
07:00
0% 0% 0% 0.29m 358° - -20° 0% 25° 2.9m/s 0.74m 3.2s
08:00
0% 0% 0% 0.28m 358° - -14° 0% 18° 3.1m/s 0.71m 3.2s
09:00
7% 0% 0% 0.27m 359° - -8° 7% 25° 3m/s 0.69m 3.2s
10:00
65% 0% 0% 0.27m 358° - -2.9° 65% 33° 2.7m/s 0.66m 3.1s
11:00
88% 0% 0% 0.26m 357° - 1.2° 88% 35° 2.2m/s 0.64m 3.1s
12:00
96% 0% 0% 0.26m 356° - 3.6° 96% 28° 2.4m/s 0.61m 3s
How to read: these inputs help produce the derived score; they are not requirements by themselves.

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