Kolmanskop - Cloudscapes - Namibia
Multi-layered dramatic clouds for striking sky photography
No Cloudscapes opportunities in the next 14 days
Tip: Scroll down to the 72-hour table to see exactly which condition fails hour by hour.
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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 dramatic cloud conditions over Namibia's extreme desert landscapes, where rare weather events and atmospheric phenomena create spectacular skies above ancient geology. We analyze cloud types, coverage patterns, and atmospheric instability to predict when sky drama combines with iconic Namibian landmarks from canyon to coast.
Namibia's position between the cold Atlantic Benguela Current and the interior plateau creates unique atmospheric conditions. The desert's extreme aridity means clouds are relatively rare—but when weather systems do develop, they're often dramatic. From Fish River Canyon's vast scale to Etosha Pan's endless horizons, Namibia provides epic foregrounds for cloudscape photography.
What makes Namibia cloudscape photography special:
- Fish River Canyon scale - Africa's largest canyon provides 160 kilometers of dramatic geological foreground under big desert skies
- Coastal fog drama - Swakopmund and Skeleton Coast where cold Atlantic fog meets scorching desert create surreal atmospheric conditions
- Etosha Pan vastness - Massive salt pan creates horizon-to-horizon sky coverage with minimal foreground distraction
- Storm rarity - Desert thunderstorms are infrequent enough that each dramatic sky becomes a significant photographic event
Fish River Canyon offers Namibia's most dramatic cloudscape location—the massive gorge provides scale and layered geological foreground under approaching weather. Etosha Pan's vast white expanse under dramatic skies removes all distraction—pure sky drama reflected in salt crust. Spitzkoppe's granite formations provide natural focal points under developing clouds, especially when late afternoon light hits rock while dark skies loom behind. The Skeleton Coast's fog creates entirely different opportunities—dense banks rolling inland from the Atlantic create ethereal, minimalist scenes. Sossusvlei's dunes under rare clouds create extraordinary color contrasts—red sand against dark skies. Summer months bring Namibia's rainy season with the highest probability of dramatic clouds, though "rainy" is relative.
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72-hour requirements breakdown
What passed or failed, hour by hourTime Africa/Windhoek | Cloud Drama Score ≥ 75.0% | Low Clouds ≥ 20.0% | Mid-Level Clouds OR1·B1≥ 30.0% | High Clouds OR1·B2≥ 40.0% | Visibility ≥ 5000.0m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, Apr 8 | |||||
| 03:00 | 15% | 0% | 93% | 70% | 24135m |
| 04:00 | 14% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 24134m |
| 05:00 | 12% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 24135m |
| 06:00 | 13% | 0% | 0.2% | 0% | 24134m |
| 07:00 | 25% | 0% | 4.8% | 0% | 24134m |
| 08:00 | 21% | 0% | 0.1% | 0% | 24135m |
| 09:00 | 11% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 24135m |
| 10:00 | 11% | 0% | 4.9% | 0% | 24134m |
| 11:00 | 9% | 0% | 1.5% | 0% | 24135m |
| 12:00 | 12% | 0% | 4% | 0% | 24134m |
| 13:00 | 12% | 0% | 0.1% | 0% | 24135m |
| 14:00 | 18% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 24134m |
| 15:00 | 13% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 24134m |
| 16:00 | 16% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 24134m |
| 17:00 | 18% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 24135m |
| 18:00 | 16% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 24135m |
| 19:00 | 15% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 24134m |
| 20:00 | 0.4% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 24135m |
| 21:00 | 1.3% | 0% | 3.7% | 0% | 24135m |
| 22:00 | 5% | 0% | 24% | 0% | 24134m |
| 23:00 | 0.8% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 24134m |
| Thu, Apr 9 | |||||
| 24:00 | 1.5% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 24135m |
| 01:00 | 0.8% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 24135m |
| 02:00 | 0.7% | 0% | 4.4% | 0% | 24135m |
| 03:00 | 0.8% | 0% | 1% | 0% | 24134m |
| 04:00 | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 24135m |
| 05:00 | 2.9% | 0% | 0.4% | 0% | 24135m |
| 06:00 | 2.9% | 0% | 1.4% | 0% | 24135m |
| 07:00 | 7.5% | 0% | 1.4% | 0% | 24134m |
| 08:00 | 8% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 24134m |
| 09:00 | 7% | 0.1% | 0.4% | 0% | 24134m |
| 10:00 | 22% | 0% | 12% | 0% | 24135m |
| 11:00 | 39% | 0% | 31% | 0% | 24134m |
| 12:00 | 11% | 0% | 3.5% | 0% | 24135m |
| 13:00 | 11% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 24135m |
| 14:00 | 12% | 0% | 1% | 0% | 24135m |
| 15:00 | 16% | 0% | 4.8% | 0% | 24135m |
| 16:00 | 17% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 24134m |
| 17:00 | 15% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 24135m |
| 18:00 | 12% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 24134m |
| 19:00 | 13% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 24134m |
| 20:00 | 4.2% | 0% | 0.4% | 0% | 24135m |
| 21:00 | 8.6% | 0% | 1.5% | 0% | 24135m |
| 22:00 | 7.2% | 0% | 0.1% | 0% | 24134m |
| 23:00 | 1.6% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 24134m |
| Fri, Apr 10 | |||||
| 24:00 | 4.3% | 1.1% | 4.5% | 0% | 24135m |
| 01:00 | 9% | 0% | 2.5% | 0% | 24134m |
| 02:00 | 11% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 24135m |
| 03:00 | 15% | 0% | 1.6% | 0% | 24134m |
| 04:00 | 15% | 0% | 5% | 0% | 24134m |
| 05:00 | 15% | 0.2% | 100% | 0% | 24135m |
| 06:00 | 14% | 26% | 55% | 0% | 24134m |
| 07:00 | 73% | 9.4% | 42% | 0% | 24134m |
| 08:00 | 63% | 52% | 87% | 0% | 24135m |
| 09:00 | 56% | 60% | 98% | 0% | 24134m |
| 10:00 | 33% | 4.9% | 100% | 0% | 23826m |
| 11:00 | 38% | 10% | 100% | 0% | 23842m |
| 12:00 | 22% | 5.4% | 96% | 0% | 24135m |
| 13:00 | 56% | 5% | 77% | 25% | 24134m |
| 14:00 | 40% | 49% | 100% | 100% | 23797m |
| 15:00 | 43% | 73% | 100% | 100% | 22504m |
| 16:00 | 52% | 99% | 100% | 100% | 12054m |
| 17:00 | 63% | 98% | 100% | 100% | 5980m |
| 18:00 | 62% | 31% | 100% | 2.5% | 23734m |
| 19:00 | 62% | 24% | 100% | 1.5% | 24135m |
| 20:00 | 0.9% | 15% | 93% | 0% | 24135m |
| 21:00 | 2.2% | 23% | 100% | 73% | 21158m |
| 22:00 | 1.8% | 1.6% | 75% | 0% | 24134m |
| 23:00 | 6% | 14% | 100% | 0% | 24135m |
| Sat, Apr 11 | |||||
| 24:00 | 9% | 0.6% | 89% | 0% | 24134m |
| 01:00 | 12% | 2.1% | 99% | 4.3% | 16307m |
| 02:00 | 11% | 1% | 58% | 21% | 21566m |
| 03:00 | 4.7% | 5% | 100% | 6.6% | 10313m |
| 04:00 | 5.2% | 74% | 100% | 93% | 12864m |
| 05:00 | 2.4% | 19% | 100% | 43% | 24135m |
| 06:00 | 7.7% | 0.1% | 7.6% | 4.3% | 24135m |
| 07:00 | 31% | 0% | 5.8% | 4.9% | 24135m |
| 08:00 | 67% | 0% | 23% | 3.6% | 24135m |
| 09:00 | 100% | 32% | 15% | 36% | 16115m |
| 10:00 | 65% | 63% | 7.5% | 68% | 8094m |
| 11:00 | 31% | 95% | 0% | 100% | 74m |
| 12:00 | 23% | 95% | 0% | 69% | 73m |
| 13:00 | 43% | 95% | 0% | 37% | 72m |
| 14:00 | 19% | 95% | 0% | 6.1% | 71m |
| 15:00 | 14% | 96% | 0% | 4.1% | 69m |
| 16:00 | 17% | 96% | 0% | 2% | 67m |
| 17:00 | 12% | 96% | 0% | 0% | 65m |
| 18:00 | 15% | 96% | 0% | 0% | 65m |
| 19:00 | 15% | 97% | 0% | 0% | 65m |
| 20:00 | 0% | 97% | 0% | 0% | 65m |
| 21:00 | 0% | 98% | 0% | 0% | 97m |
| 22:00 | 0% | 99% | 0% | 0% | 129m |
| 23:00 | 0% | 100% | 0% | 0% | 160m |
| Sun, Apr 12 | |||||
| 24:00 | 0% | 97% | 0% | 0% | 167m |
| 01:00 | 0% | 95% | 0% | 0% | 173m |
What does Cloud 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 Africa/Windhoek | Air Pressure hPa | High Clouds % | Mid-Level Clouds % | Precipitation Chance % | Relative Humidity % | Solar Elevation ° | Total Cloud Coverage % | Wind Gusts m/s | Wind Speed m/s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Apr 9
Sunrise 07:12
Sunset 18:48 | |||||||||
| 03:00 ☾ | 996hPa | 0% | 1% | 2% | 45% | -56° | 1% | 1.6m/s | 1.5m/s |
| 04:00 ☾ | 996hPa | 0% | 0% | 3% | 45% | -43° | 0% | 1.5m/s | 1.4m/s |
| 05:00 ☾ | 995hPa | 0% | 0% | 5% | 46% | -30° | 0% | 0.82m/s | 0.74m/s |
| 06:00 ☾ | 995hPa | 0% | 1% | 3% | 47% | -17° | 1% | 1.2m/s | 1.1m/s |
| 07:00 ☾ | 996hPa | 0% | 1% | 2% | 47% | -3.5° | 1% | 1.2m/s | 1.1m/s |
| 08:00 | 996hPa | 0% | 0% | 0% | 43% | 9.7° | 0% | 1.4m/s | 1.1m/s |
| 09:00 | 997hPa | 0% | 0% | 0% | 37% | 22° | 0% | 1.4m/s | 0.64m/s |
| 10:00 | 997hPa | 0% | 12% | 0% | 33% | 34° | 12% | 2m/s | 0.19m/s |
| 11:00 | 997hPa | 0% | 31% | 0% | 30% | 45° | 31% | 2.3m/s | 1.8m/s |
| 12:00 | 997hPa | 0% | 4% | 0% | 30% | 53° | 4% | 2.7m/s | 3.3m/s |
| 13:00 | 996hPa | 0% | 0% | 0% | 31% | 56° | 0% | 2.7m/s | 3.9m/s |
| 14:00 | 995hPa | 0% | 1% | 0% | 32% | 53° | 1% | 3m/s | 4.2m/s |
| 15:00 | 995hPa | 0% | 5% | 0% | 32% | 45° | 5% | 3.5m/s | 4.4m/s |
| 16:00 | 995hPa | 0% | 0% | 0% | 33% | 35° | 0% | 3.5m/s | 4m/s |
| 17:00 | 995hPa | 0% | 0% | 0% | 35% | 23° | 0% | 3.6m/s | 3.9m/s |
| 18:00 | 995hPa | 0% | 0% | 7% | 38% | 10° | 0% | 3.6m/s | 3.5m/s |
| 19:00 ☾ | 996hPa | 0% | 0% | 15% | 41% | -3.2° | 0% | 4m/s | 3.3m/s |
| 20:00 ☾ | 996hPa | 0% | 0% | 22% | 39% | -17° | 0% | 5.3m/s | 3.3m/s |
| 21:00 ☾ | 996hPa | 0% | 2% | 28% | 38% | -30° | 2% | 4.5m/s | 3.1m/s |
| 22:00 ☾ | 997hPa | 0% | 0% | 33% | 37% | -43° | 0% | 2m/s | 2m/s |
| 23:00 ☾ | 996hPa | 0% | 0% | 39% | 37% | -56° | 0% | 1.7m/s | 1.6m/s |
| Fri, Apr 10
Sunrise 07:12
Sunset 18:48 | |||||||||
| 24:00 ☾ | 996hPa | 0% | 4% | 45% | 38% | -66° | 4% | 1.1m/s | 1.1m/s |
| 01:00 ☾ | 996hPa | 0% | 2% | 50% | 38% | -71° | 2% | 2.2m/s | 2.1m/s |
| 02:00 ☾ | 995hPa | 0% | 0% | 56% | 39% | -67° | 0% | 3.1m/s | 3.1m/s |
| 03:00 ☾ | 995hPa | 0% | 2% | 59% | 41% | -56° | 2% | 2.3m/s | 2.2m/s |
| 04:00 ☾ | 995hPa | 0% | 5% | 61% | 48% | -44° | 5% | 1.3m/s | 1.2m/s |
| 05:00 ☾ | 994hPa | 0% | 100% | 64% | 50% | -30° | 100% | 1.3m/s | 1.3m/s |
| 06:00 ☾ | 995hPa | 0% | 55% | 64% | 48% | -17° | 56% | 1.8m/s | 1.6m/s |
| 07:00 ☾ | 995hPa | 0% | 42% | 64% | 50% | -3.6° | 42% | 2.3m/s | 2.2m/s |
| 08:00 | 996hPa | 0% | 87% | 64% | 47% | 9.5° | 87% | 2m/s | 2m/s |
| 09:00 | 996hPa | 0% | 98% | 60% | 43% | 22° | 98% | 1.9m/s | 1.4m/s |
| 10:00 | 996hPa | 0% | 100% | 55% | 42% | 34° | 100% | 1.1m/s | 0.8m/s |
| 11:00 | 996hPa | 0% | 100% | 50% | 42% | 45° | 100% | 1.1m/s | 1.8m/s |
| 12:00 | 996hPa | 0% | 96% | 56% | 47% | 52° | 96% | 2.2m/s | 3.1m/s |
| 13:00 | 996hPa | 24% | 77% | 63% | 48% | 55° | 84% | 5m/s | 4.7m/s |
| 14:00 | 996hPa | 100% | 100% | 70% | 46% | 52° | 100% | 3.2m/s | 2.8m/s |
| 15:00 | 997hPa | 100% | 100% | 74% | 58% | 45° | 100% | 8.4m/s | 6.9m/s |
| 16:00 | 998hPa | 100% | 100% | 77% | 84% | 34° | 100% | 5m/s | 3.6m/s |
| 17:00 | 998hPa | 100% | 100% | 81% | 85% | 22° | 100% | 2.7m/s | 2.4m/s |
| 18:00 | 998hPa | 2% | 100% | 85% | 83% | 9.8° | 100% | 6.2m/s | 5.5m/s |
| 19:00 ☾ | 998hPa | 2% | 100% | 89% | 77% | -3.4° | 100% | 6.6m/s | 5.6m/s |
| 20:00 ☾ | 998hPa | 0% | 93% | 92% | 72% | -17° | 93% | 7.7m/s | 6.2m/s |
| 21:00 ☾ | 998hPa | 73% | 100% | 88% | 68% | -30° | 100% | 5.7m/s | 4m/s |
| 22:00 ☾ | 998hPa | 0% | 75% | 84% | 64% | -43° | 75% | 4.5m/s | 3m/s |
| 23:00 ☾ | 998hPa | 0% | 100% | 80% | 68% | -56° | 100% | 5.9m/s | 3.3m/s |
| Sat, Apr 11
Sunrise 07:13
Sunset 18:47 | |||||||||
| 24:00 ☾ | 997hPa | 0% | 89% | 83% | 64% | -67° | 89% | 3.4m/s | 2.6m/s |
| 01:00 ☾ | 997hPa | 4% | 99% | 87% | 66% | -72° | 99% | 0.41m/s | 0.21m/s |
| 02:00 ☾ | 997hPa | 21% | 58% | 90% | 71% | -67° | 59% | 1m/s | 0.99m/s |
| 03:00 ☾ | 996hPa | 7% | 100% | 80% | 77% | -56° | 100% | 0.7m/s | 0.64m/s |
| 04:00 ☾ | 996hPa | 93% | 100% | 71% | 78% | -44° | 100% | 0.9m/s | 0.72m/s |
| 05:00 ☾ | 995hPa | 43% | 100% | 61% | 71% | -31° | 100% | 2.3m/s | 2m/s |
| 06:00 ☾ | 996hPa | 4% | 8% | 61% | 75% | -17° | 8% | 2.3m/s | 2m/s |
| 07:00 ☾ | 997hPa | 5% | 6% | 62% | 77% | -3.7° | 6% | 1.7m/s | 1.6m/s |
| 08:00 | 998hPa | 4% | 22% | 62% | 72% | 9.4° | 22% | 1.3m/s | 1.1m/s |
| 09:00 | 1003hPa | 36% | 15% | 51% | 81% | 22° | 48% | 1.3m/s | 1.1m/s |
| 10:00 | 1008hPa | 68% | 8% | 41% | 90% | 34° | 74% | 1.3m/s | 1.2m/s |
| 11:00 | 1013hPa | 100% | 0% | 31% | 99% | 44° | 100% | 1.2m/s | 1.3m/s |
| 12:00 | 1014hPa | 69% | 0% | 30% | 99% | 52° | 98% | 1.9m/s | 1.9m/s |
| 13:00 | 1014hPa | 37% | 0% | 28% | 99% | 55° | 97% | 2.6m/s | 2.5m/s |
| 14:00 | 1014hPa | 6% | 0% | 27% | 99% | 52° | 95% | 3.3m/s | 3.2m/s |
| 15:00 | 1014hPa | 4% | 0% | 24% | 99% | 44° | 96% | 4.2m/s | 3.5m/s |
| 16:00 | 1014hPa | 2% | 0% | 21% | 99% | 34° | 96% | 5m/s | 3.8m/s |
| 17:00 | 1014hPa | 0% | 0% | 18% | 99% | 22° | 96% | 5.8m/s | 4.1m/s |
| 18:00 | 1014hPa | 0% | 0% | 22% | 99% | 9.5° | 96% | 5.9m/s | 4.3m/s |
| 19:00 ☾ | 1013hPa | 0% | 0% | 26% | 100% | -3.6° | 97% | 6m/s | 4.4m/s |
| 20:00 ☾ | 1013hPa | 0% | 0% | 30% | 100% | -17° | 97% | 6.1m/s | 4.6m/s |
| 21:00 ☾ | 1013hPa | 0% | 0% | 27% | 100% | -30° | 98% | 5.9m/s | 4.7m/s |
| 22:00 ☾ | 1012hPa | 0% | 0% | 23% | 99% | -44° | 99% | 5.8m/s | 4.8m/s |
| 23:00 ☾ | 1012hPa | 0% | 0% | 20% | 99% | -56° | 100% | 5.6m/s | 5m/s |
| Sun, Apr 12
Sunrise 07:13
Sunset 18:46 | |||||||||
| 24:00 ☾ | 1012hPa | 0% | 0% | 20% | 99% | -67° | 97% | 6.3m/s | 5m/s |
| 01:00 ☾ | 1012hPa | 0% | 0% | 20% | 100% | -72° | 95% | 7.1m/s | 5m/s |
| 02:00 ☾ | 1013hPa | 0% | 0% | 21% | 100% | -67° | 93% | 7.8m/s | 5.1m/s |
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