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Rule Golden Hour

Machico - Golden Hour - Madeira

Machico, Madeira, Portugal

That magical warm light just after sunrise or before sunset

Currently

Real-time conditions
Low Cloud Cover54%
Mid Cloud Cover0%
High Cloud Cover0%
Sun Elevation14.9° (Daylight)

Upcoming Opportunities

When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.

Times shown in Atlantic/Madeira
golden-hour weather icon
Next opportunity
Exceptional Golden Hour at Sunset
Machico
Sun, Apr 12 · 20:02–20:50 · 1h window
Medium confidence
62%
🌇Golden Hour Potential95.3%
Low Cloud Cover: 4%
Mid Cloud Cover: 0%
High Cloud Cover: 3%
Sun Elevation: 6.5° (Daylight)
golden-hour weather icon
Exceptional Golden Hour at Sunrise
Machico
Mon, Apr 13 · 07:24–08:12
🌇Golden Hour Potential:94.5-100%
Medium
golden-hour weather icon
Exceptional Golden Hour at Sunset
Machico
Mon, Apr 13 · 20:03–20:51
🌇Golden Hour Potential:93.9%
Medium
golden-hour weather icon
Exceptional Golden Hour (breezy) at Sunrise
Machico
Tue, Apr 14 · 07:23–08:11
🌇Golden Hour Potential:85.2-85.4%
Low
golden-hour weather icon
Exceptional Golden Hour at Sunset
Machico
Tue, Apr 14 · 20:04–20:52
🌇Golden Hour Potential:95.8%
Medium
golden-hour weather icon
Exceptional Golden Hour (breezy) at Sunrise
Machico
Fri, Apr 17 · 07:19–08:07
🌇Golden Hour Potential:85.2-91.2%
Low

What this forecast looks for

Plain-language explanation from the rule

This forecast identifies optimal golden hour conditions for Madeira's volcanic landscapes, sea cliffs, terraced hillsides, and coastal villages. We track cloud cover, visibility, and atmospheric conditions to predict when warm light enhances the island's distinctive red volcanic rock and whitewashed villages.

Madeira's volcanic geology creates exceptional golden hour photography—red tuff cliffs glow under warm light, while terraced agriculture creates geometric patterns emphasized by low-angle sun. East-west valleys like Ribeira Brava channel morning and evening light through volcanic gorges.

What makes Madeira golden-hour photography distinctive:

  • Volcanic cliff glow - Cabo Girão's 580-meter sea cliff catches sunrise light, appearing to glow red-orange from within
  • Terraced landscapes - Banana plantations, vineyards, and agriculture create striped patterns under low sun
  • Fishing village light - Câmara de Lobos' colourful boats and waterfront buildings gain warmth painted by Churchill himself
  • Headland drama - Ponta de São Lourenço's barren volcanic peninsula glows gold against deep blue Atlantic waters

Cabo Girão at sunrise delivers Europe's most dramatic sea cliff composition—warm light hits the near-vertical red cliff while the glass skywalk platform and terraced fields glow golden. Câmara de Lobos works beautifully at sunset—Churchill painted this exact scene, and golden hour reveals why. Ponta de São Lourenço's eastern headland provides spectacular sunrise photography with barren volcanic formations. Funchal's harbour gains romantic character with warm light on terracotta roofs and tropical gardens. Santana's traditional thatched houses take on storybook quality under low sun against green ridges. Machico's historic bay offers golden light on black sand beach. Spring and autumn provide optimal angles.

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72-hour requirements breakdown

What passed or failed, hour by hour
0matching hours in the next 74 hours
AND logic: all conditions required
Meets requirement
Misses requirement
Time
Atlantic/Madeira
Golden Hour
Any
Golden Hour Potential
≥ 80.0%
Precipitation Chance
≤ 5.0%
Visibility
≥ 1000.0m
Thu, Apr 9
05:0015%82%23538m
06:008.4%82%23401m
07:0064%82%23308m
08:0060%67%23296m
09:0013%53%16045m
10:0015%39%14826m
11:0011%39%16452m
12:008.1%39%10149m
13:008.3%39%19187m
14:007.4%26%8811m
15:009.1%13%11292m
16:0013%0%24135m
17:0016%21%24134m
18:0013%43%24135m
19:0016%64%24135m
20:0091%65%24135m
21:0085%67%24135m
22:0014%69%24134m
23:0016%76%24134m
Fri, Apr 10
24:0016%83%24135m
01:009.2%90%24134m
02:0014%82%22636m
03:007.2%73%9010m
04:009.3%65%23484m
05:0015%75%23442m
06:0014%85%22363m
07:0078%95%24080m
08:0087%76%23927m
09:008.4%58%23818m
10:008.5%39%24129m
11:009.3%39%24134m
12:008.5%39%24072m
13:009.8%39%24131m
14:009.6%39%24135m
15:0014%39%24134m
16:0011%39%24135m
17:0011%39%24134m
18:008.6%39%24135m
19:008.5%39%24020m
20:0060%26%24126m
21:0059%13%24135m
22:0014%0%24134m
23:0010%13%24135m
Sat, Apr 11
24:008.5%26%24135m
01:0015%39%24134m
02:0016%39%24135m
03:0015%39%24134m
04:0014%39%24135m
05:0014%53%24134m
06:0014%68%24135m
07:0093%82%24135m
08:0090%60%24134m
09:0011%38%24134m
10:0013%17%24134m
11:0011%24%24135m
12:0016%32%24135m
13:0015%39%24134m
14:0016%39%24134m
15:0015%39%24135m
16:0011%39%24135m
17:0011%39%24135m
18:0011%39%24135m
19:0010%39%24135m
20:0072%39%24135m
21:0083%39%24135m
22:0017%39%24135m
23:0015%53%24135m
Sun, Apr 12
24:0014%68%24135m
01:0013%82%24135m
02:0015%58%24135m
03:0017%34%24135m
04:0015%10%24135m
05:0015%16%24135m
06:0016%22%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
Atlantic/Madeira
Golden Hour
High Clouds
%
Low Clouds
%
Mid-Level Clouds
%
Relative Humidity
%
Total Cloud Coverage
%
Wind Speed
m/s
Thu, Apr 9 Sunrise 07:45 Sunset 20:32
09:00
- 0% 54% 0% 79% 54% 12m/s
10:00
- 0% 26% 0% 77% 26% 11m/s
11:00
- 0% 60% 1% 77% 60% 11m/s
12:00
- 0% 91% 2% 78% 91% 11m/s
13:00
- 0% 99% 0% 81% 99% 10m/s
14:00
- 0% 90% 0% 80% 90% 11m/s
15:00
- 0% 78% 0% 77% 78% 10m/s
16:00
- 0% 58% 0% 73% 58% 9.5m/s
17:00
- 0% 18% 0% 71% 18% 8.4m/s
18:00
- 0% 59% 0% 70% 59% 8.8m/s
19:00
- 0% 30% 0% 72% 30% 8.4m/s
20:00
- 0% 10% 0% 74% 10% 8.4m/s
21:00
- 0% 9% 1% 75% 9% 8.5m/s
22:00
- 0% 5% 0% 74% 5% 8.3m/s
23:00
- 0% 28% 2% 70% 28% 8.2m/s
Fri, Apr 10 Sunrise 07:45 Sunset 20:32
24:00
- 0% 32% 2% 71% 32% 7.8m/s
01:00
- 0% 81% 1% 76% 81% 7m/s
02:00
- 0% 50% 2% 83% 50% 7.5m/s
03:00
- 0% 89% 0% 83% 89% 8.5m/s
04:00
- 0% 79% 12% 83% 79% 9m/s
05:00
- 0% 42% 3% 83% 42% 9m/s
06:00
- 0% 46% 0% 87% 46% 9.8m/s
07:00
- 0% 53% 0% 85% 53% 10m/s
08:00
- 0% 44% 0% 84% 44% 10m/s
09:00
- 0% 91% 0% 83% 91% 10m/s
10:00
- 0% 86% 0% 82% 86% 9.9m/s
11:00
- 0% 80% 0% 82% 80% 9.3m/s
12:00
- 0% 96% 0% 81% 96% 9.1m/s
13:00
- 0% 75% 0% 80% 75% 8.7m/s
14:00
- 0% 78% 0% 80% 78% 8.5m/s
15:00
- 0% 51% 0% 77% 51% 8.2m/s
16:00
- 0% 69% 0% 76% 69% 8.6m/s
17:00
- 0% 68% 0% 79% 68% 9m/s
18:00
- 5% 83% 0% 80% 83% 8.8m/s
19:00
- 13% 85% 0% 82% 85% 8.9m/s
20:00
- 2% 68% 0% 86% 68% 8.5m/s
21:00
- 2% 65% 0% 85% 65% 8.2m/s
22:00
- 3% 7% 0% 83% 7% 8.7m/s
23:00
- 68% 13% 0% 81% 70% 9.1m/s
Sat, Apr 11 Sunrise 07:43 Sunset 20:33
24:00
- 96% 19% 0% 81% 97% 9.2m/s
01:00
- 0% 19% 0% 79% 19% 9.2m/s
02:00
- 0% 19% 0% 76% 19% 9.2m/s
03:00
- 0% 12% 0% 75% 12% 9.4m/s
04:00
- 0% 0% 0% 75% 0% 9.4m/s
05:00
- 0% 5% 0% 76% 5% 9.6m/s
06:00
- 0% 6% 0% 77% 6% 9m/s
07:00
- 0% 28% 0% 81% 28% 8.7m/s
08:00
- 0% 42% 0% 84% 42% 8.6m/s
09:00
- 0% 62% 0% 82% 62% 8.6m/s
10:00
- 0% 55% 0% 78% 55% 8.1m/s
11:00
- 0% 64% 0% 76% 64% 8.7m/s
12:00
- 0% 41% 0% 74% 41% 7.9m/s
13:00
- 4% 0% 0% 72% 4% 7.9m/s
14:00
- 4% 25% 0% 72% 27% 7.5m/s
15:00
- 5% 49% 0% 73% 51% 7m/s
16:00
- 5% 74% 0% 73% 74% 6.5m/s
17:00
- 15% 76% 0% 71% 76% 7.2m/s
18:00
- 25% 77% 0% 69% 77% 7.8m/s
19:00
- 36% 79% 0% 67% 79% 8.5m/s
20:00
- 30% 60% 0% 67% 61% 8.3m/s
21:00
- 26% 40% 0% 67% 44% 8.1m/s
22:00
- 20% 21% 0% 68% 26% 7.9m/s
23:00
- 31% 31% 0% 66% 36% 8.1m/s
Sun, Apr 12 Sunrise 07:42 Sunset 20:33
24:00
- 42% 42% 0% 65% 45% 8.4m/s
01:00
- 53% 52% 0% 64% 55% 8.6m/s
02:00
- 35% 36% 0% 63% 37% 8.5m/s
03:00
- 18% 18% 0% 62% 19% 8.3m/s
04:00
- 0% 2% 0% 61% 2% 8.1m/s
05:00
- 2% 2% 0% 61% 3% 7.1m/s
06:00
- 3% 3% 0% 60% 4% 6.1m/s
07:00
- 5% 4% 0% 60% 5% 5.1m/s
08:00
- 5% 13% 0% 60% 14% 5.8m/s
How to read: these inputs help produce the derived score; they are not requirements by themselves.

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