The UK's Royal Meteorological Society has revealed the winners of this year’s Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year competition. The total number of submissions received this year was above 4,500 from 84 countries. This was whittled down to a shortlist of 25 images, from which the winners were chosen by an international panel of experts from the fields of meteorology, photography and journalism, including members of the ITV Weather team. The public also voted for their favorite from this shortlist.
The Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2024 Title Prize Winner goes to Wang Xin of Shanghai, China, with the photo ‘Sprites Dancing in the Dark Night’. As multiple thunderstorms raged around Shanghai, Xin traveled to the Chongming District and after a few hours, a “faint red figure” flashed in their eyes and this remarkable image was captured. The judges commented that it is rare to see an image with this extent and number of sprites. Wang Xin wins a £5,000 ($6,500/AU$9,900) cash prize.
The Main Title Runner-up is Andy Gray of Matlock, UK, whose photo ‘Hoarfrost Heaven’ depicts a spectacular display of hoar frost over the Derwent Valley, UK. The judges loved the colors and light in Andy’s photo, as well as the sense of layers provided by the rolling hills, the different types of trees and the thin layers of mist. As one judge put it: “The more you stare at it, the more you see."
The Main Title Third Place goes to Jamie Russell of Isle of Wight, UK, who took advantage of sea and air to capture the photo ‘Evening Shower Over the Needles’. Jamie reports, “Some large showers started developing 20 miles or so to our north-northwest. Realizing they could cross The Needles with rainbow potential, we jumped in our rib at Colwell Bay and positioned ourselves with the camera.” This photograph also came second in the vote for the Public Favourite.
As well as being open to users of 'proper' mirrorless and DSLR cameras, the competition welcomes entrants taken on smartphones too.
The Standard Chartered Smartphone Weather Photographer of the Year Winner is 'Volcanoes' by Nur Syaireen Natasya Binti Azaharin of Selangor, Malaysia, who had gone out with the expectation of capturing a sunrise but was instead rewarded with this glorious view of smoking volcanoes in East Java, Indonesia. The judging panel praised the subtlety of the shot, appreciating the combination of the curves of the landscape and the curves of the tree in the foreground with the basin of clouds and the blue sky above. Nur Syaireen Natasya Binti Azaharin wins a cash prize of £2,500 ($3,250/AU$4,950).
Smartphone Runner-up Lesley Hellgeth of Mount Vernon, United States, shot the photo ‘African Dust Over Athens’, which shows the influence of Saharan dust on Athens during April 2023 and is a reminder of the interconnectivity of weather conditions around the world, an aspect that particularly impressed the judges.
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Smartphone Third Place goes to Peter Reinold of Kent, US for the image ‘Circular Rainbow’. Peter held his camera phone steady through a turbulent landing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to capture this complete circular rainbow. The judges enjoyed how the image “encapsulates the spirit of smartphone photography” in its opportunism. The circular rainbow would have been there for just a second and Peter captured it.
The Standard Chartered Young Weather Photographer of the Year title goes to Angelina Widmann of Bregenz, Austria, whose winning photo ‘Rain Aria’ captured this stunning shot during an open-air performance of Madame Butterfly on the eastern shore of Bodensee (also known as Lake Constance) in Bregenz, Austria. Angelina’s photo wins a cash prize of £750 ($1,000/AU$1,500), plus a double-page spread in the Week Junior Science+Nature Magazine and a year’s subscription to the magazine.
Young Weather Photographer Runner-up is awarded to Ellis Skelton of Eastbourne, UK for his photo ‘Saturated Earth and Sky’s Promise’, a panoramic image of Cuckmere Valley in East Sussex. The judging panel noted how the photograph seems to contain two seasons: summer on the left and autumn on the right. The beauty of the sky contrasted with the flooding on the ground is a reminder of both the wonder and misery the sky can bring.
Young Weather Photographer Third Place is Lincoln Wheelwright of Texas, United States, with the photo ‘Fire and Ice’. Lincoln grabbed his camera and took this picture from his house in Austin, Texas, as a thunderstorm began rolling in. The Gulf of Mexico is warming rapidly due to climate change, boosting the supply of moist air and raising the potential of intense storms in the region.
New to this year’s competition is the Standard Chartered Climate Award, created to underscore the connection between weather patterns and the broader impacts of climate change, illustrating how these global shifts affect our daily lives.
The winner of the first Standard Chartered Climate Award – and also the winner of the Public Favourite vote – is Gerson Turelly of Brazil, for the photograph ‘Rowing’. This compelling image shows the center of Porto Alegre, Brazil, during the devastating Rio Grande do Sul floods in spring 2024. In this image, a road has turned into a waterway, down which a young man paddles his kayak. Gerson notes that the kayaker was headed towards the worst affected areas to help rescue stranded people. Gerson wins a cash prize of £1,000 ($1,300/AU$2,000).
The composition and lighting of the photo were praised by the judging panel, as well as the powerful combination of weather and climate impacts portrayed in the scene. Judges also commented how the picture shows “past, present and future”; flooding has always been something that we must deal with and adapt to, however as climate change increases the intensity of heavy rainfall, flooding will become even more common.
The annual Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year competition is run and organized by the Royal Meteorological Society (RMetS), the UK’s Professional and Learned Society for weather and climate. It works to strengthen the science and raise awareness of the importance of weather and climate, support meteorological professionals and inspire enthusiasts. The RMetS plays a key role as the custodian of both the science and the profession of meteorology in the UK and has an important role to play internationally as one of the world’s largest meteorological societies.
Professor Liz Bentley, Chief Executive of the Royal Meteorological Society, commented: “I’m delighted with the variety and quality of this year’s winning photographs, which show a real window into the world’s weather and climate, in both its regional differences and its interconnectivity. From African dust impacting on Athens to tranquil weather over volcanoes, from a sudden local downpour to increased intense rainfall and flooding around the world, we are reminded that climate change is impacting on weather patterns everywhere, and that the global community needs to come together to act now and curb any further temperature rise.”
Marisa Drew, Chief Sustainability Officer at Standard Chartered, commented: “The winning images in this year’s competition tell a powerful story about our planet and the extraordinary force of extreme weather events. Many of the images draw urgent attention to the impact of our changing climate on communities and biodiverse habitats around the world. This is particularly true of the winner of our inaugural Climate Award, Gerson Turelly, with an image of the devastating flooding in Porto Alegre, Brazil. As headline sponsors of the Weather Photographer competition, we hope to raise further awareness about the threat posed by rising temperatures and associated extreme weather events. Congratulations to all the winners and runners-up, and thank you to everyone who entered.”
You can view all the winning images on the Winners’ Gallery on the Royal Meteorological Society website, including captions written by Royal Meteorological Society climate experts telling the important stories behind the photographs.
If you're keen on entering next year's competition, here are five top tips for weather photography.
