Freezing mist, circular rainbows and turbulent skies: 25 breathtaking pictures shortlisted for Weather Photographer of the Year 2024
Freezing mist, circular rainbows and turbulent skies: 25 breathtaking pictures shortlisted for Weather Photographer of the Year 2024
A downpour over the Needles and a stunning ice halo are among the year's impressive shortlist in the Weather Photographer of the Year competition.
Photographer Jamie Russell took advantage of sea and air to capture this image: “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. However, the composition was awkward, and the choppy sea was a challenge, so I sent up the drone, knowing the view would likely be a lot more impressive.” His instinct certainly paid off as he managed to capture two British icons: the white chalk stacks of The Needles and a downpour! To top this image off, the Isle of Wight is perfectly crowned with a rainbow. Jamie Russell
The finalists for the Weather Photographer of the Year 2024 have been announced and the public can now cast their vote.
From 19 September to 17 October, people can vote for their favourite image from the competition, which showcases the world's most striking weather and climate photography.
Among the impressive shortlist for this year's competition is a glorious rainbow arcing over the Isle of Wight (pictured above); a Saharan dust storm; a stunning ice halo; and a sublime Derwent Valley landscape blanketed in hoarfrost. The shortlist gallery also provides insights into the science behind the weather phenomena and the stories behind the images—as well as the photographers' adventures and the techniques used to capture them.
Now in its ninth year, Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year provides an international platform to raise awareness of environmental issues that put our planet at risk – including heatwaves, cyclones, and extreme flooding – while also depicting the awe-inspiring beauty and power of the weather.
This year's competition attracted thousands of entries from photographers of all ages and skill levels worldwide. Participants were eager to document the impacts of extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and wildfires, that communities face.
Weather Photographer of the Year 2024 finalists gallery
This image shows “a spectacular display of hoar frost over the Derwent Valley”. The judging panel loved the colours and light in this 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.” Credit: Andy GrayYou might be forgiven for thinking that the Parthenon has been magically transported to Mars, but this scene is actually much more down to Earth! This image 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. Credit: Lesley HellgethThere is much to see in this photo taken in the Tatra Mountains, Poland, beginning with the fogbow (the large white circle). A fogbow is formed similarly to a rainbow, but the water droplets through which the light is refracted and reflected are much smaller than raindrops. At this droplet size, similar to the wavelengths of visible light, the dominant process is diffraction, by which the beam of white light becomes more spread out and lacks colour. Credit: Dominika KoszowskaPhotographer Peter Reinold held his camera phone steady through a turbulent landing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to capture this complete circular rainbow: “I always pick the window seat on planes, as you never know what you [might] encounter. It paid off this time.” Credit: Peter Reinold“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. However, the composition was awkward, and the choppy sea was a challenge, so I sent up the drone, knowing the view would likely be a lot more impressive.” Jamie Russell's instinct certainly paid off as he managed to capture two British icons: the white chalk stacks of The Needles and a downpour! To top this image off, the Isle of Wight is perfectly crowned with a rainbow. Credit: Jamie Russell During ascent of the Wołowiec Peak in the Tatra Mountains, Poland, photographer Adam Łada snapped this view of a ridge, along which fellow climbers appear as black specks on the white snow. The judging panel appreciated the composition and framing of the image, combining people, landscapes and weather. Credit: Adam ŁadaPresumably wrapped up warmly in hat and gloves, photographer Mark McColl braved temperatures of minus 10°C to capture this stunning shot of the Barnweil Monument. Particularly interesting are the shadows which the trees cast on the mist, only visible due to the height of Mark’s drone above the mist layer. Credit: Mark McCollIt might take a moment before you realise you are looking at people walking on a frozen sea. Photographer Yevhen Samuchenko used a drone to capture this picture from the Kherson region of Ukraine, located on the Dnieper River which flows into the northern Black Sea. This region of the Black Sea freezes regularly, in part because it is fed by the freshwater of the Don, Danube and Dnieper rivers, which freezes at a higher temperature than saltwater. Credit: Yevhen SamuchenkoIn this image, Majid Hojati used the vantage point of the Shahid Kalantari Causeway to capture the dryness of Lake Urmia in Iran, once the second largest saltwater lake in the world and the largest wetland in Iran. A number of severe and extended droughts, along with water extraction for human use, has caused the water levels to fall dramatically. Since the beginning of the century, the volume of water in the lake has fallen by 95%. Credit: Majid HojatiIn Genhe, one of China’s coldest places, photographer Shengyu Li captured this stunning display of solar halos. The use of the ultra-wide fish-eye lens adds to the framing of the picture, with the halos perfectly encircling a lone bare tree. Credit: Shengyu LiOn the eastern side of the interior North American mountain ranges, the Canadian Prairies and the North American Great Plains are sometimes affected by warm, dry winds, known as the interior Chinook winds. The name comes from the Native American word for “snow eater”, as the Chinook can rapidly raise temperatures. Credit: Shawn SakamotoOn a trek to the peak of Pico Ruivo in Madeira, Portugal, photographer Dominika Koszowska came across a lone dead white tree, a “remnant of the fires that swept through this island in 2010”. Credit: Dominika KoszowskaThis image shows Loch Ard in the Trossachs National Park in Scotland in the early morning October sun. Given the east-west orientation of the lake, photographer David Hendry set out to capture the “rising sunshine along the loch highlighting the frequent mist hanging over the water” as well as the “beautiful autumn colours”. Credit: David HenryIn this image taken in Myanmar, a family hangs dyed cotton cloth to dry as the sun rises in the background. Parched and cracked earth dominates the foreground of the image, but is punctuated by green shoots, which some of the judges felt gave a sense of renewal. Credit: Zaw Zaw WaiThis image, taken on the Andaman Sea off the coast of Myanmar by Htet Phyo Wai, shows an approaching thunderstorm. A lone fishing boat lies in wait in the deceptively calm turquoise water, bracing for the strong winds and rougher seas that will accompany the storm. Credit: Htet Phyo WaiA fisherman ventures onto Myanmar’s Inle Lake during a night-time downpour in search of fish to support his family. This image captures “the resilience and dedication of the human spirit against nature's challenges”. Credit: Aung Chan TharThis image shows the effects of drought and human interference with river flow on the Teesta River, which flows through India and Bangladesh and merges with the Brahmaputra River. Credit: Md Shafiul IslamThis 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. Credit: Gerson TurellyIt’s no surprise this footpath is closed! This rather superfluous sign was snapped by local photographer Ian Knight as he “wandered around the town trying to avoid the floods” caused by the River Sow in Stafford’s town centre, UK. Credit: Ian KnightMuch like the ethereal, fairy-like sprites of folklore, red sprite lightning is particularly difficult to see or photograph. Photo location: Shanghai, China Credit: Xin WangThis dramatic image shows the impact of climate change in Cape Town, South Africa, where rising temperatures and reduced rainfall have increased the probability of wildfires. Credit: Patrick RyanPhotographer Andrea Kleene captured this close-up image of twigs and branches encased in ice after a particularly intense freezing rain event to the east of Cologne, Germany, in February 2021. Credit: Andrea KleenePhotographer Aung Chan Thar described how the “clouds swiftly rolled in before sunrise, cloaking the landscape. As the sun emerged, golden rays pierced through the mist, illuminating the scene with a mystical light, showcasing the beauty of weather's unpredictable charm.” Kalaw, Myanmar Credit: Aung Chan TharA small pyrocumulus cloud (also known as flammagenitus) sits atop Mount Semeru (central peak in the background) and small plumes of smoke and steam are emitted from the crater of Mount Bromo (front left). Photo location: Bromo, Indonesia Credit: Nur Syaireen Nataysya Binto AzazharinGetting wet is part and parcel of the UK’s weather. Photographer Graeme Youngson managed to stay dry by taking this shot from inside an Aberdeen bus shelter. His subject, a young woman braving the elements to catch her bus, wasn’t so lucky. Graeme “focused on the raindrops which were being blown onto the glass of the bus shelter [and] underexposed slightly in order to produce a silhouette”. Credit: Graeme Youngson
Voting closes 17 October. The winner will be announced on 30 October.
Fancy entering some photography competitions? You can take great photos without specialist equipment as many of the best wildlife photos can be snapped on your smartphone. Alternatively, why not hone your photography skills by taking part in a photography course?
Abigail is a freelance writer and editor based in Hereford. She started her journalism career as editorial assistant for BBC Countryfile Magazine, then she joined vintage lifestyle magazine Pretty Nostalgic as features editor, writing and features about sustainable living. She is now deputy editor of Ernest, a journal for enquiring minds. Abigail is a keen hiker, runner, forager, wild-swimmer and stand-up paddle boarder who cares passionately about her home river – the River Wye. abigailwhyte.com
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