The Spectacular Winners of Weather Photographer of the Year

Photo credit: Jamie Russell, left, Wang Xin, right.

The Royal Meteorological Society has announced the winners of this year’s Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year Competition.

Wang Xin from Shanghai, China has taken home the top prize of $6,440 (£5,000) for his photo of red sprites, large-scale electrical discharges that shoot upward from thunderstorm clouds that are red in color.

The Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2024 Title Prize Winner is Wang Xin of Shanghai, China, with the photo ‘Sprites Dancing in the Dark Night’. As multiple thunderstorms raged around Shanghai, Xin travelled 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.

Main Title Runner up, Andy Gray of Matlock, UK, whose photo ‘Hoarfrost Heaven’ depicts a spectacular display of hoar frost over the Derwent Valley, UK. Judges loved the colours 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.”

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. Realising 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.

The Standard Chartered Smartphone Weather Photographer of the Year Winner is 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.

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.

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. Judges Our 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 winner of the first Standard Chartered Climate Award is Gerson Turelly of Brazil, for the photograph ‘Rowing’. This compelling image shows the centre 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.

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.

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.

You can view the winners’ gallery on the Royal Meteorological Society website.