Sunset Score
How good will the sunset be?
A score out of 100.
Meridian’s Sunset Score reads the forecast cloud at the minute the sun sets: high cloud to catch the color, low cloud in the way, rain and fog. Every city’s sunrise and sunset page has tonight’s, and a week of them.
Where the sunset looks good next
The best Sunset Scores of the next eight hours, from each city’s forecast, on each city’s own clock.
- Zamboanga95 colorful sunset, 5:31 pm · in 7 h 1 min
- Jiaozuo95 colorful sunset, 5:32 pm · in 7 h 2 min
- Zunyi95 colorful sunset, 6:08 pm · in 7 h 38 min
- Luoyang94 colorful sunset, 5:36 pm · in 7 h 6 min
- Kaohsiung89 colorful sunset, 5:21 pm · in 6 h 51 min
- Ankang89 colorful sunset, 5:53 pm · in 7 h 23 min
- Banjarmasin87 colorful sunset, 6:12 pm · in 7 h 41 min
- Anyang86 colorful sunset, 5:27 pm · in 6 h 56 min
- Qinhuangdao82 colorful sunset, 4:59 pm · in 6 h 29 min
- Malang81 colorful sunset, 5:24 pm · in 7 h 54 min
- Tainan79 colorful sunset, 5:21 pm · in 6 h 51 min
- Ganzhou75 colorful sunset, 5:38 pm · in 7 h 8 min
What the numbers mean
- 70Colorful sunset 70 to 100
Cloud high in the sky to catch the color, and a clear horizon for the light to reach it. The sky can turn orange, pink and red after the sun has gone.
- 55Clear sunset 55 to 69
A clear sky: golden light right down to the horizon, but few clouds for the color to light up afterwards.
- 35Mixed sunset 35 to 54
Some low cloud in the way, or a thick layer above. Color is possible if the light gets through.
- 0Cloudy sunset 0 to 34
Thick low cloud, rain, snow or fog between you and the sun. The sunset is likely hidden.
How it’s worked out
A clear sky scores 55: the sun goes down in golden light, but there’s little for the color to land on afterwards. Cloud high in the sky is what turns a sunset pink and red, because it’s still lit after the sun has set below you; broken cloud covering half to most of the sky lifts the score to 95, and a solid layer brings it back down, since the light can’t get through.
Low cloud does the opposite: it sits between you and the horizon and blocks the light, taking up to 70% of the score away. Rain, snow, storms, fog and low overcast put the score under 20.
The score is for the forecast at one point, the city, at the minute the sun sets. The sky to the west matters most, and it can be clearer or cloudier than overhead, so take it as a guide. The forecast is MET Norway’s, read again as it updates. The golden hour before sunset is when the light is warmest.
Questions
What is the Sunset Score?
A number from 0 to 100 for how good a sunset is likely to look where you are, from the weather forecast at the minute the sun sets: 70 and up is a colorful sunset likely, 55 a clear one, 35 some color possible, and below that the sunset is likely hidden. The Sunrise Score is the same for sunrise.
How is the Sunset Score worked out?
From the forecast cloud at three heights. A clear sky scores 55. Broken cloud high in the sky raises the score, to 95 when it covers half to most of the sky, because it catches the color after the sun has gone; a solid layer brings it back down. Low cloud lowers it, because it sits between you and the horizon. Rain, snow, storms and fog bring it close to zero.
How far ahead does it go?
About a week. Each city’s sunrise and sunset page shows the Sunrise and Sunset Score for every day the forecast reaches, and the nearer days are the most reliable.
Where does the forecast come from?
From MET Norway’s weather forecast for the city, read again as it updates through the day.
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