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Rule Storm Chaser

Djúpalónssandur - Storm Chaser - Iceland Coast

Hellissandur, West, Iceland

Dramatic storm conditions — from atmospheric builds to active thunderstorms

No opportunities right now
Here’s what usually blocks matches

No Storm Chaser opportunities in the next 14 days

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Rule requirements (key thresholds)
Storm Intensity · ≥ 55.0% Cloud Drama Score · ≥ 55.0% CAPE · ≥ 1200.0J/kg Lifted Index · ≤ -2.0°C

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

Most common blockers (next 72 hours)
Storm Intensity 100% failing
CAPE 100% failing
Cloud Drama Score 53% failing

Currently

Real-time conditions
Cloud Cover100%
Wind Gusts19.3m/s
Precipitation Chance81%
Air Pressure974.2hPa
CAPE9
Lifted Index7.8°C
Wind Gusts19.3m/s
Precipitation0.3mm

Upcoming Opportunities

When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.

Times shown in Atlantic/Reykjavik

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 rule

This forecast tracks North Atlantic storm systems hitting Iceland's volcanic coastline, identifying when conditions create dramatic—but photographable—opportunities. We monitor storm intensity, wave height, wind speed, and post-storm clearing to predict optimal storm photography windows.

Iceland's position in the North Atlantic storm track means powerful weather systems regularly batter its shores. These storms create some of the most dramatic coastal photography opportunities on Earth, with massive waves crashing against black sand, icebergs, and basalt formations. The key is timing—shooting after peak storm intensity when conditions remain dramatic but become safer.

What makes Iceland's coast special for storm photography:

  • North Atlantic power - Powerful storm systems generate massive waves hitting volcanic shores
  • Sneaker wave drama - Reynisfjara's notorious sneaker waves create spectacular but dangerous conditions
  • Storm-driven waterfalls - Coastal waterfalls like Svartifoss and Seljalandsfoss become more dramatic in storms
  • Black sand contrast - Dark volcanic beaches make white storm waves and spray even more dramatic

Reynisfjara black sand beach becomes Iceland's most dramatic—and most dangerous—storm location. The beach's gently sloping profile allows waves to rush far up the sand with little warning. Multiple tourists have been killed here by "sneaker waves" that arrive without warning during storm conditions. Our forecast helps identify post-storm windows when seas remain photogenic but the worst danger has passed—never turn your back on the ocean here. Diamond Beach offers similar drama with the added element of icebergs being tossed by storm waves. Stokksnes combines storm seas with the dramatic Vestrahorn mountain backdrop. Icelandic storms also supercharge coastal waterfalls—wind-driven spray and increased flow create spectacular conditions. Safety is absolutely paramount—maintain safe distances, watch wave patterns for several minutes before positioning, and be prepared to retreat quickly.

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72-hour requirements breakdown

What passed or failed, hour by hour
0matching hours in the next 95 hours
OR logic: one branch per group is enough
Meets requirement
Misses requirement
Time
Atlantic/Reykjavik
Storm Intensity
≥ 55.0%
Cloud Drama Score
≥ 55.0%
CAPE
OR1·B1
≥ 1200.0J/kg
Lifted Index
OR1·B2
≤ -2.0°C
Visibility
≥ 2500.0m
Wind Gusts
≤ 22.0m/s
Thu, Mar 12
01:0015%15%0J/kg7.1°C24134m9.2m/s
02:0015%15%0J/kg6.9°C24135m9.1m/s
03:0025%14%0J/kg6.6°C19892m9.2m/s
04:000%11%0J/kg8.3°C24135m4.4m/s
05:000%5.5%0J/kg8.1°C24134m4.2m/s
06:0014%8.2%0J/kg8.7°C24135m5m/s
07:000%53%0J/kg9.5°C24134m6.7m/s
08:000%67%0J/kg11°C24134m9.5m/s
09:0016%67%5J/kg12°C14200m11m/s
10:0018%67%6J/kg12°C9038m12m/s
11:0020%71%6J/kg12°C9714m14m/s
12:0020%84%4J/kg11°C9205m13m/s
13:0019%79%13J/kg9.7°C5804m15m/s
14:0033%72%15J/kg9.3°C4499m15m/s
15:0021%90%10J/kg9.6°C5644m16m/s
16:0019%71%7J/kg9.4°C12424m17m/s
17:0020%71%6J/kg10°C24135m18m/s
18:0032%76%12J/kg9.9°C17277m19m/s
19:0018%97%3J/kg9.6°C24134m18m/s
20:0018%97%8J/kg9.5°C24135m20m/s
21:0030%85%8J/kg9.1°C24135m23m/s
22:0019%0.2%4J/kg9°C24134m21m/s
23:0021%0.2%1J/kg8.6°C9429m19m/s
Fri, Mar 13
24:0049%0%39J/kg7°C259m16m/s
01:0019%4%9J/kg7.8°C24135m19m/s
02:0018%3.4%8J/kg8.2°C24135m19m/s
03:0031%0.8%37J/kg7.4°C3181m18m/s
04:0029%3.1%40J/kg7.8°C2621m18m/s
05:0029%7.2%16J/kg8.8°C4034m18m/s
06:0020%1%4J/kg8.5°C17550m18m/s
07:0018%66%0J/kg6.2°C23001m18m/s
08:0018%72%0J/kg5.5°C21809m18m/s
09:0028%72%0J/kg5.1°C21616m16m/s
10:0015%37%0J/kg5.2°C23273m15m/s
11:0015%76%0J/kg5.7°C24135m14m/s
12:0016%57%0J/kg5.9°C24135m13m/s
13:0015%56%0J/kg6.5°C24134m12m/s
14:0015%52%0J/kg7.2°C24135m12m/s
15:0016%67%1J/kg7.7°C24134m13m/s
16:0014%69%4J/kg7.5°C24134m12m/s
17:0014%65%1J/kg7.9°C24135m14m/s
18:0015%49%10J/kg7.4°C24135m13m/s
19:0015%68%27J/kg6.9°C19208m11m/s
20:0015%66%13J/kg6.9°C24135m10m/s
21:0015%59%3J/kg7.1°C24134m9.5m/s
22:000%12%1J/kg7°C24134m8m/s
23:000%13%0J/kg6.9°C24134m8.4m/s
Sat, Mar 14
24:000%14%0J/kg6.6°C24135m8.3m/s
01:000%15%5J/kg5.9°C24135m9.2m/s
02:0012%15%17J/kg5.5°C24135m10m/s
03:0012%14%1J/kg6.4°C24135m10m/s
04:0012%14%0J/kg6.7°C24134m9.4m/s
05:000%15%2J/kg6.9°C24134m9.5m/s
06:0014%15%4J/kg7.2°C24135m11m/s
07:0012%29%0J/kg7.6°C24134m11m/s
08:0012%86%0J/kg7.9°C24135m11m/s
09:0012%33%0J/kg7.8°C24135m8.4m/s
10:000%57%0J/kg7°C24134m6.2m/s
11:000%81%0J/kg6.8°C24135m4m/s
12:000%36%0J/kg8.4°C24134m5.6m/s
13:000%34%0J/kg12°C24135m7.4m/s
14:000%70%0J/kg15°C24135m7.7m/s
15:0015%49%0J/kg16°C24135m9.2m/s
16:0014%47%0J/kg16°C24134m11m/s
17:0014%52%0J/kg16°C24135m12m/s
18:0029%66%0J/kg15°C24134m12m/s
19:0015%69%0J/kg15°C24134m14m/s
20:0015%69%0J/kg14°C24135m14m/s
21:0034%65%0J/kg13°C24135m15m/s
22:0015%0%0J/kg12°C24134m15m/s
23:0015%0%0J/kg11°C24135m15m/s
Sun, Mar 15
24:0028%0%0J/kg11°C24134m14m/s
01:0015%0%0J/kg10°C24135m14m/s
02:0015%0%0J/kg8.8°C24135m15m/s
03:0031%0%0J/kg7.7°C24135m16m/s
04:0016%0.4%0J/kg7.4°C12201m16m/s
05:0018%2.7%0J/kg7.3°C10407m15m/s
06:0037%4.7%0J/kg7.3°C3851m15m/s
07:0018%80%0J/kg6.9°C10612m17m/s
08:0019%73%0J/kg6.4°C17374m20m/s
09:0032%70%0J/kg6°C24135m22m/s
10:0018%65%0J/kg5.9°C24135m22m/s
11:0018%83%0J/kg5.7°C24135m22m/s
12:0032%69%0J/kg5.6°C24135m21m/s
13:0018%83%0J/kg6°C24135m21m/s
14:0018%81%0J/kg6.4°C24135m22m/s
15:0034%96%0J/kg6.8°C24135m22m/s
16:0018%91%0J/kg7°C24135m21m/s
17:0018%98%0J/kg7.2°C24135m21m/s
18:0034%100%0J/kg7.4°C24135m21m/s
19:0018%100%0J/kg7.7°C24135m21m/s
20:0018%67%0J/kg8°C24135m20m/s
21:0033%50%0J/kg8.4°C24135m20m/s
22:0018%0%0J/kg8.3°C21308m19m/s
23:0018%0%0J/kg8.3°C18482m19m/s
How to read: colored cells show whether each predicate requirement is met; highlighted rows mean the full rule matched (an opportunity). For OR groups, only one branch is required, so some OR-branch predicates can be ✕ even in a matching hour.

What does Cloud 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
Air Pressure
hPa
CAPE
J/kg
High Clouds
%
Lifted Index
°C
Low Clouds
%
Mid-Level Clouds
%
Precipitation Chance
%
Rainfall
mm
Relative Humidity
%
Showers
mm
Simulated Reflectivity
dBZ
Solar Elevation
°
Total Cloud Coverage
%
Total Precipitation
mm
Wind Shear 0-3 km
m/s
Wind Shear 0-6 km
m/s
Wind Speed
m/s
Fri, Mar 13 Sunrise 08:02 Sunset 19:29
01:00
974hPa 9J/kg 15% 7.8°C 91% 100% 81% 0.01mm 73% 0.01mm -3.5dBZ -28° 100% 0.31mm - - 17m/s
02:00
975hPa 8J/kg 36% 8.2°C 13% 99% 62% 0.01mm 75% 0mm -12dBZ -28° 99% 0.31mm - - 15m/s
03:00
975hPa 37J/kg 43% 7.4°C 85% 100% 44% 0.04mm 80% 0.18mm -20dBZ -27° 100% 0.44mm 5.2m/s 0.93m/s 13m/s
04:00
976hPa 40J/kg 51% 7.8°C 96% 100% 48% 0mm 80% 0.22mm -17dBZ -23° 100% 0.69mm - - 15m/s
05:00
976hPa 16J/kg 80% 8.8°C 100% 100% 52% 0mm 80% 0.12mm -14dBZ -19° 100% 0.81mm - - 17m/s
06:00
977hPa 4J/kg 37% 8.5°C 100% 98% 56% 0mm 79% 0.02mm -11dBZ -13° 100% 0.94mm 5.2m/s 7.7m/s 17m/s
07:00
977hPa 0J/kg 6% 6.2°C 100% 80% 50% 0.01mm 79% 0mm -14dBZ -7.3° 100% 0mm - - 18m/s
08:00
978hPa 0J/kg 5% 5.5°C 100% 37% 45% 0.01mm 80% 0mm -17dBZ -0.69° 100% 0mm - - 17m/s
09:00
978hPa 0J/kg 1% 5.1°C 100% 38% 39% 0.02mm 79% 0mm -20dBZ 5.4° 100% 0.06mm 10m/s 12m/s 16m/s
10:00
980hPa 0J/kg 0% 5.2°C 100% 8% 45% 0mm 77% 0mm -20dBZ 11° 100% 0.06mm - - 15m/s
11:00
981hPa 0J/kg 3% 5.7°C 63% 7% 50% 0mm 75% 0mm -20dBZ 16° 63% 0.06mm - - 15m/s
12:00
981hPa 0J/kg 6% 5.9°C 8% 94% 56% 0mm 73% 0mm -20dBZ 20° 94% 0.06mm 5.5m/s 7m/s 14m/s
13:00
982hPa 0J/kg 5% 6.5°C 6% 99% 56% 0mm 71% 0mm -20dBZ 22° 99% 0mm - - 13m/s
14:00
983hPa 0J/kg 5% 7.2°C 7% 94% 56% 0mm 71% 0mm -20dBZ 22° 94% 0mm - - 13m/s
15:00
984hPa 1J/kg 0% 7.7°C 31% 5% 56% 0mm 73% 0mm -20dBZ 21° 31% 0mm 4.8m/s 8.8m/s 13m/s
16:00
984hPa 4J/kg 0% 7.5°C 56% 0% 65% 0mm 74% 0.01mm -7.8dBZ 18° 56% 0mm - - 11m/s
17:00
985hPa 1J/kg 0% 7.9°C 80% 0% 74% 0mm 68% 0.01mm 4.3dBZ 14° 80% 0mm - - 12m/s
18:00
986hPa 10J/kg 0% 7.4°C 100% 2% 83% 0mm 76% 0.05mm 16dBZ 8.4° 100% 0.06mm 3.9m/s 6m/s 12m/s
19:00
986hPa 27J/kg 0% 6.9°C 100% 98% 68% 0mm 79% 0.2mm 4.3dBZ 2.5° 100% 0.13mm - - 9.7m/s
20:00
987hPa 13J/kg 0% 6.9°C 100% 100% 54% 0mm 76% 0.05mm -7.8dBZ -3.9° 100% 0.25mm - - 8.9m/s
21:00
987hPa 3J/kg 0% 7.1°C 92% 24% 39% 0mm 68% 0.01mm -20dBZ -10° 92% 0.31mm 4.9m/s 2.1m/s 8.8m/s
22:00
988hPa 1J/kg 0% 7°C 100% 5% 45% 0mm 64% 0mm -9.9dBZ -16° 100% 0.31mm - - 6.6m/s
23:00
988hPa 0J/kg 0% 6.9°C 57% 5% 50% 0mm 60% 0mm 0.11dBZ -21° 57% 0.31mm - - 5m/s
Sat, Mar 14 Sunrise 07:58 Sunset 19:32
24:00
989hPa 0J/kg 0% 6.6°C 6% 5% 56% 0mm 60% 0mm 10dBZ -25° 6% 0.31mm 2.6m/s 6.1m/s 6.8m/s
01:00
989hPa 5J/kg 0% 5.9°C 6% 5% 38% 0mm 64% 0mm 0.11dBZ -27° 6% 0mm - - 7.6m/s
02:00
990hPa 17J/kg 0% 5.5°C 100% 6% 19% 0mm 65% 0.07mm -9.9dBZ -28° 100% 0.06mm - - 8.9m/s
03:00
991hPa 1J/kg 0% 6.4°C 23% 0% 1% 0mm 63% 0.01mm -20dBZ -26° 23% 0.06mm 1.6m/s 5.1m/s 9.6m/s
04:00
991hPa 0J/kg 0% 6.7°C 7% 0% 1% 0mm 65% 0mm -20dBZ -23° 7% 0.06mm - - 8.2m/s
05:00
992hPa 2J/kg 0% 6.9°C 93% 0% 0% 0mm 65% 0mm -20dBZ -19° 93% 0.06mm - - 7.3m/s
06:00
992hPa 4J/kg 24% 7.2°C 6% 0% 0% 0mm 76% 0.01mm -20dBZ -13° 24% 0.13mm 4.3m/s 7.6m/s 10m/s
07:00
993hPa 0J/kg 100% 7.6°C 5% 1% 0% 0mm 77% 0mm -20dBZ -6.9° 100% 0mm - - 10m/s
08:00
993hPa 0J/kg 40% 7.9°C 6% 5% 0% 0mm 77% 0mm -20dBZ -0.11° 40% 0mm - - 11m/s
09:00
993hPa 0J/kg 100% 7.8°C 5% 5% 0% 0mm 75% 0mm -20dBZ 5.8° 100% 0mm 2.9m/s 3.7m/s 8.3m/s
10:00
993hPa 0J/kg 86% 7°C 5% 11% 0% 0mm 74% 0mm -20dBZ 11° 86% 0mm - - 6.4m/s
11:00
992hPa 0J/kg 36% 6.8°C 5% 6% 0% 0mm 72% 0mm -20dBZ 16° 36% 0mm - - 4.1m/s
12:00
992hPa 0J/kg 5% 8.4°C 3% 6% 0% 0mm 71% 0mm -20dBZ 20° 6% 0mm 2.5m/s 9.4m/s 5.1m/s
13:00
992hPa 0J/kg 93% 12°C 2% 9% 0% 0mm 71% 0mm -20dBZ 22° 93% 0mm - - 6.9m/s
14:00
991hPa 0J/kg 19% 15°C 5% 99% 0% 0mm 71% 0mm -20dBZ 23° 99% 0mm - - 6.5m/s
15:00
990hPa 0J/kg 98% 16°C 5% 100% 0% 0mm 72% 0mm -20dBZ 21° 100% 0mm 6m/s 22m/s 7.9m/s
16:00
989hPa 0J/kg 100% 16°C 5% 100% 13% 0mm 76% 0mm -11dBZ 18° 100% 0mm - - 9.1m/s
17:00
988hPa 0J/kg 100% 16°C 5% 100% 25% 0mm 79% 0mm -2.8dBZ 14° 100% 0mm - - 11m/s
18:00
987hPa 0J/kg 100% 15°C 16% 100% 38% 0mm 82% 0mm 5.8dBZ 8.7° 100% 0mm 7m/s 25m/s 12m/s
19:00
985hPa 0J/kg 100% 15°C 40% 100% 49% 0mm 81% 0mm 3.6dBZ 2.9° 100% 0mm - - 13m/s
20:00
984hPa 0J/kg 100% 14°C 42% 100% 60% 0mm 81% 0mm 1.4dBZ -3.6° 100% 0mm - - 14m/s
21:00
983hPa 0J/kg 100% 13°C 99% 100% 71% 0mm 84% 0mm -0.85dBZ -9.9° 100% 0mm 15m/s 25m/s 15m/s
22:00
981hPa 0J/kg 100% 12°C 100% 100% 76% 0mm 83% 0mm -1.4dBZ -16° 100% 0mm - - 16m/s
23:00
980hPa 0J/kg 36% 11°C 100% 100% 81% 0mm 81% 0mm -1.9dBZ -21° 100% 0mm - - 15m/s
Sun, Mar 15 Sunrise 07:54 Sunset 19:35
24:00
979hPa 0J/kg 5% 11°C 100% 100% 86% 0mm 79% 0mm -2.4dBZ -25° 100% 0mm 9m/s 15m/s 14m/s
01:00
977hPa 0J/kg 5% 10°C 100% 100% 73% 0mm 78% 0mm 2.2dBZ -27° 100% 0mm - - 14m/s
02:00
976hPa 0J/kg 5% 8.8°C 100% 100% 60% 0.01mm 80% 0mm 6.8dBZ -27° 100% 0mm - - 14m/s
03:00
975hPa 0J/kg 5% 7.7°C 100% 100% 48% 0mm 80% 0mm 11dBZ -26° 100% 0mm 15m/s 17m/s 15m/s
04:00
974hPa 0J/kg 5% 7.4°C 95% 100% 52% 0.08mm 88% 0mm 8.3dBZ -23° 100% 0mm - - 16m/s
05:00
974hPa 0J/kg 9% 7.3°C 100% 100% 57% 0.15mm 92% 0.01mm 5.2dBZ -18° 100% 0.19mm - - 15m/s
06:00
974hPa 0J/kg 5% 7.3°C 100% 100% 62% 0.29mm 93% 0.01mm 2.1dBZ -13° 100% 0.44mm 14m/s 16m/s 15m/s
07:00
976hPa 0J/kg 37% 6.9°C 94% 100% 54% 0.2mm 89% 0.007mm -1.1dBZ -6.6° 100% 0.29mm - - 17m/s
08:00
977hPa 0J/kg 68% 6.4°C 89% 100% 47% 0.1mm 85% 0.003mm -4.3dBZ 0.27° 100% 0.15mm - - 18m/s
09:00
978hPa 0J/kg 100% 6°C 84% 100% 39% 0.01mm 81% 0mm -7.4dBZ 6.1° 100% 0mm 17m/s 12m/s 20m/s
10:00
979hPa 0J/kg 71% 5.9°C 58% 100% 33% 0.007mm 81% 0mm -12dBZ 12° 100% 0mm - - 20m/s
11:00
980hPa 0J/kg 42% 5.7°C 32% 100% 28% 0.003mm 81% 0mm -16dBZ 17° 100% 0mm - - 19m/s
12:00
981hPa 0J/kg 13% 5.6°C 6% 100% 22% 0mm 81% 0mm -20dBZ 20° 100% 0mm 17m/s 12m/s 19m/s
13:00
982hPa 0J/kg 10% 6°C 21% 92% 15% 0.003mm 81% 0mm -13dBZ 23° 92% 0mm - - 19m/s
14:00
983hPa 0J/kg 8% 6.4°C 36% 84% 7% 0.007mm 80% 0mm -6.2dBZ 23° 84% 0mm - - 19m/s
15:00
984hPa 0J/kg 5% 6.8°C 52% 75% 0% 0.01mm 79% 0mm 0.64dBZ 22° 76% 0mm 17m/s 17m/s 19m/s
16:00
984hPa 0J/kg 5% 7°C 57% 66% 13% 0.007mm 79% 0mm -6.2dBZ 19° 73% 0mm - - 19m/s
17:00
985hPa 0J/kg 4% 7.2°C 62% 56% 26% 0.003mm 78% 0mm -13dBZ 14° 70% 0mm - - 19m/s
18:00
985hPa 0J/kg 3% 7.4°C 67% 46% 39% 0mm 78% 0mm -20dBZ 9.1° 67% 0mm 17m/s 18m/s 19m/s
19:00
985hPa 0J/kg 2% 7.7°C 77% 43% 27% 0.003mm 78% 0mm -16dBZ 3.2° 77% 0mm - - 19m/s
20:00
985hPa 0J/kg 1% 8°C 87% 39% 15% 0.007mm 78% 0mm -11dBZ -3.3° 87% 0mm - - 18m/s
21:00
985hPa 0J/kg 0% 8.4°C 97% 35% 3% 0.01mm 78% 0mm -7.2dBZ -9.6° 97% 0mm 14m/s 17m/s 18m/s
22:00
985hPa 0J/kg 0% 8.3°C 98% 25% 2% 0.007mm 78% 0.007mm -9.8dBZ -15° 98% 0.02mm - - 18m/s
23:00
985hPa 0J/kg 0% 8.3°C 99% 14% 1% 0.003mm 78% 0.01mm -12dBZ -20° 99% 0.04mm - - 18m/s
Mon, Mar 16 Sunrise 07:51 Sunset 19:38
24:00
984hPa 0J/kg 0% 8.2°C 100% 4% 0% 0mm 78% 0.02mm -15dBZ -24° 100% 0.06mm 17m/s 15m/s 17m/s
How to read: these inputs help produce the derived score; they are not requirements by themselves.

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