The Royal Meteorological Society (RMetS) has unveiled the 30 finalists for its annual Weather Photographer of the Year photo contest, and there are just a few days left for people to vote for their favorites.
This year’s competition, the 11th annual edition, received over 5,500 entries from photographers worldwide. The judges had their hands full narrowing those down to just 30 finalists.
RMetS says finalists were selected for creativity, the meteorological interest of their photos, and originality. Subjects range from incredible clouds and beautiful light to violent storms, colorful rainbows, and more.
“The 30 shortlisted images capture a diverse array of dramatic conditions across 13 countries, highlighting rare, powerful moments: from mist rolling over Mallorcan hills, brilliant crepuscular sunbeams across bridges, to delicate ‘icy hearts’ forming on mountain mesh fences, double rainbows arching perfectly across the Scottish Highlands, and a rare single-exposure triple lightning bolt striking major New York skyscrapers,” the Royal Meteorological Society says.
Some of the finalist photos also explore global issues like climate change. One image shows agricultural lands in Iran destroyed by heat wave-driven fires. Another wildfire aftermath image shows devastated Scottish Cairngorms. A powerful photo from Patagonia shows collapsing glacial ice. Another shot captures densely populated communities entirely engulfed by floodwaters in Bangladesh.
Weather can be beautiful, powerful, and, at times, devastating.
“This competition continues to show us just how powerful photography can be in connecting people with weather and our changing climate. The incredible images shortlisted this year don’t just showcase the breathtaking, dramatic beauty of our skies, they also serve as a critical reminder of the impacts of climate change,” says Professor Liz Bentley, Chief Executive of the RMetS.
“With over 5,500 entries from around the world, our judging panel had an incredibly tough task in shortlisting the images and deciding on the winning images, and we are now delighted to hand over to the public to vote for their favorite,” Bentley continues.
The public can vote right now for their favorite shortlisted photos until 23:59 GMT on November 5. While the public picks their winner, the “Public Favorite,” the jury will select the overall and category winners. Winners will be announced on November 17.
Image creditsThe Weather Photographer of the Year competition is hosted and organized by the Royal Meteorological Society. Individual photographers are credited in the image captions.
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