in 7h 32m
Blocked grey lid
Photo locations · Hawke’s Bay · New Zealand
Te Mata Peak Summit: sunrise photography forecast
Te Mata Peak opens across the Heretaunga Plains toward Hawke’s Bay, with ridges and farmland making natural layers in low light. Both sunrise and sunset work; the wind usually decides which side of the summit is comfortable.
Will tomorrow's sunrise 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.
Low cloud is resting on the viewpoint, so you will be inside it.
Sky colors
Golden hour
Sunrise
Light corridor
-5 km
Behind you
Your location
370 m asl
5 km
Nearby
20 km
Near horizon
50 km
Light path
100 km
Light path
150 km
Far light path
200 km
Far light path
300 km
Far light path
350 km
Far light path
cloud-cover fieldinterpolation uncertaintysun directionnear-ground humiditycloud at unresolved heightmodelled underlightunderlight · height uncertainunderlight · lit on one readinglit but hidden behind nearer cloud
Terrain is drawn for illustration only — it is not used to calculate underlight or obstruction.
Clouds: Lit canvas above you, but you are inside the cloud
Your viewpoint is in cloud or fog — the colour above will be hard to see from here.
Overcast at every sample point — no light gets through.
Very thick mid/high cover (99%) — colour likely only at cloud edges.
Low cloud deck overhead (96%) hides the coloured undersides.
Most clouds above you sit in shadow — their undersides are unlikely to catch colour.
Cloud cover is nearly solid and uniform across the near scene — a flat lid rather than separated layers.
Cloud occupies two height bands, giving the sky useful layered structure.
Light corridor is blocked
Thick cloud between you and the low sun (92%) — no real golden hour expected.
Sun likely hidden. You're inside the cloud at the viewpoint — the sun will not be visible from here.
Clarity: Reduced
High humidity (97%) may soften and mute colors.
Forecast refreshed a few hours before sunrise.
Will Sunday's sunrise 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.
Low cloud is resting on the viewpoint, so you will be inside it.
Sky colors
Golden hour
Sunrise
Light corridor
-5 km
Behind you
Your location
370 m asl
5 km
Nearby
20 km
Near horizon
50 km
Light path
100 km
Light path
150 km
Far light path
200 km
Far light path
300 km
Far light path
350 km
Far light path
cloud-cover fieldinterpolation uncertaintysun directionnear-ground humiditycloud at unresolved heightmodelled underlightunderlight · height uncertainunderlight · lit on one readinglit but hidden behind nearer cloud
Terrain is drawn for illustration only — it is not used to calculate underlight or obstruction.
Clouds: Cloud canvas mostly unlit
Precipitation is likely nearby (0.8 mm at one or more sample points) — most direct light will be blocked, though a showery sky can still open up.
Very thick mid/high cover (100%) — colour likely only at cloud edges.
Low cloud deck overhead (75%) hides the coloured undersides.
Most clouds above you sit in shadow — their undersides are unlikely to catch colour.
The viewpoint is likely inside low cloud, which hides scene depth.
Cloud cover is nearly solid and uniform across the near scene — a flat lid rather than separated layers.
Cloud is distributed across low, middle and high levels, creating strong vertical depth.
Corridor partly open
Thick cloud between you and the low sun (82%) — no real golden hour expected.
Sun likely hidden. You're inside the cloud at the viewpoint — the sun will not be visible from here.
Clarity: Reduced
High humidity (99%) may soften and mute colors.
Forecast refreshed a few hours before sunrise.
Will Monday's sunrise 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.
Mid and high cloud covers 60% overhead, a canvas that can catch colour.
Recommended arrival
Outlook only · 55 h ahead
Sky colors
Golden hour
Sunrise
Glow before
Light corridor
-5 km
Behind you
Your location
370 m asl
5 km
Nearby
20 km
Near horizon
50 km
Light path
100 km
Light path
150 km
Far light path
200 km
Far light path
300 km
Far light path
350 km
Far light path
cloud-cover fieldinterpolation uncertaintysun directionnear-ground humiditycloud at unresolved heightmodelled underlightunderlight · height uncertainunderlight · lit on one readinglit but hidden behind nearer cloud
Terrain is drawn for illustration only — it is not used to calculate underlight or obstruction.
Clouds: Excellent lit screen for color
Mid-level cloud canvas over you (60%) — plenty of cloud surface.
Cloud occupies two height bands, giving the sky useful layered structure.
Cloud cover changes between nearby and distant parts of the scene, adding texture and depth.
Broken low cloud (49%) — expect the light to come and go.
Light corridor is open
24% blocking cloud at the ray's height out to 350 km — the low sun's own path is clear. Cloud above that ray is judged separately.
Distant low cloud sits below the light ray (Earth's curvature) — it can't block the light.
Sun likely hidden. Low cloud fills the horizon (60%) — the sun will probably stay behind it.
Best colour
06:24
in 55h 22m
06:13–07:07, look east 5–25° up · brief, colour behind you too
Clarity: Reduced
High humidity (95%) may soften and mute colors.
Forecast refreshed a few hours before sunrise.
Know the light
before it happens
€3.33 /month
Billed annually — €39.99
Try 14 days freeCard required, nothing charged for 14 days. Cancel any time in the trial and you pay nothing at all. EU/EEA consumers: see the right-of-withdrawal section in our Terms.
For photographers: shooting Te Mata Peak Summit
Best months
March to May for warm autumn colour and calmer light; September to November for green hills. Summer can be dry and hazy.
Suggested focal lengths
16–35 mm for ridge foregrounds; 70–200 mm for folded hills, farms and distant coast.
Composition
Step away from the summit marker and use the walking ridges as lead-ins. Longer lenses are excellent when bands of light move over the plains.
Recommended arrival
Arrive 45–60 minutes before sunrise or sunset and scout a position sheltered from the prevailing wind.
Access planning
Summit-road access can close for weather, events or maintenance. Check the park notice and keep clear of mountain-bike trails.
Parking: Small summit and lower-park car parks; use the lower option if the summit road is closed.
Approach: Immediate from the summit car park, or a longer signed walk from lower entrances.