weather; sky conditions
Refers to the look or state of the sky, often implying upcoming weather. Somewhat literary or old-fashioned; 天気 is more common in daily speech.
The sky looks threatening, so let's take an umbrella.
course of events; situation; prospects
Figurative use: the way things are developing, like the look of the sky. Rare and somewhat literary; often replaced by 雲行き or 形勢.
The course of the negotiations has taken a turn for the worse.
Standard kanji spelling; 空合 is a shorter variant.
Shorter variant of 空合い, less common.
Compound of 空 (そら, 'sky') and 合い (あい, 'condition' or 'state'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used since at least the Edo period.