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Photo locations · Cape Town · South Africa

Table Mountain Upper Cableway View: sunset photography forecast

The upper cableway area looks across Cape Town, Lion’s Head, the Atlantic and the Cape Peninsula, with several compositions within a short walk. Cloud spilling over the plateau can be spectacular, but it can also close the cableway.

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Will today's sunset be worth it?

Simplified forecast from the open model run. The full forecast — a second model, your exact viewpoint, the hourly cloud timeline — is in the app.

Global model, about 13 km: less certain than in Europe.

in 1h 35m

Blocked grey lid

Starts

in 1h 0m

Diffused muted light · even light for details & forests

Sky colors

Golden hour
Sunset

Light corridor: blocked

Why: Cloud covers every point we sampled, so no direct light gets through.

  • Light path: partly blocked (36% blocking cloud at the ray's height)
  • Sun: may be hidden. Some low cloud toward the horizon (47%) may hide the sun on and off.
  • Cloud: the low sun comes down through a high cloud sheet toward the sun (100% at 113–244 km); expect pale, weak golden light.
Viewer's line of sight, tangent to the Earth at your locationNear-ground relative humidity7% cover — too thin to draw as cloud13% cover — too thin to draw as cloudConnected cloud layer · 29–29% cover · 10–10% visual uncertaintyConnected cloud layer · 25–29% cover · 10–10% visual uncertaintyConnected cloud layer · 2–34% cover · 10–45% visual uncertaintyConnected cloud layer · 88–100% cover · 10–65% visual uncertaintyConnected cloud layer · 88–100% cover · 10–65% visual uncertaintyConnected cloud layer · 88–100% cover · 10–65% visual uncertaintyConnected cloud layer · 88–100% cover · 10–65% visual uncertaintyConnected cloud layer · 88–100% cover · 10–65% visual uncertaintylow cloud · 33% reported, 0% resolved on a pressure surface — 33% is somewhere between 0.11 and 3 kmlow cloud · 33% reported, 0% resolved on a pressure surface — 33% is somewhere between 1.07 and 3 kmlow cloud · 47% reported, 0% resolved on a pressure surface — 47% is somewhere between 0 and 3 kmlow cloud · 33% reported, 0% resolved on a pressure surface — 33% is somewhere between 0 and 3 kmlow cloud · 47% reported, 7% resolved on a pressure surface — 40% is somewhere between 0 and 3 km

Terrain is drawn for illustration only — it is not used to calculate underlight or obstruction.

cloud-cover fieldinterpolation uncertaintysun directionnear-ground humiditycloud at unresolved heightmodelled underlightunderlight · height uncertainunderlight · lit on one readinglit but hidden behind nearer cloud

Forecast refreshed a few hours before sunset.

Know the light
before it happens

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For photographers: shooting Table Mountain Upper Cableway View

Best months

October to April for longer evenings and more stable access; winter can bring very clear air between fronts but frequent closures.

Suggested focal lengths

16–35 mm for plateau and city; 70–200 mm for Lion’s Head, coastline and layered mountains.

Composition

Move away from the main station railings and use sandstone or fynbos as foreground. Keep a long lens ready for side light on Lion’s Head.

Recommended arrival

Take a cable car that reaches the top at least 75 minutes before sunset and confirm the final descent.

Access planning

Cableway operation is wind- and weather-dependent. Carry warm layers, follow plateau paths and never assume a closed cableway will reopen for your descent.

Parking: Limited roadside parking along Tafelberg Road; official park-and-ride or shuttle arrangements are preferable when operating.

Approach: A short paved walk from the upper station; longer plateau paths reach quieter viewpoints.

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