The Royal Meteorological Society (RMetS) has unveiled the 30 finalists for its annual Weather Photographer of the Year competition. Now in its 11th edition, the contest attracted more than 5,500 entries from photographers worldwide, making the judges’ job of selecting just 30 standout images no easy task.
This year’s finalists showcase an incredible mix of creativity, originality, and meteorological beauty. From mesmerizing cloud formations and breathtaking natural light to violent thunderstorms, colorful rainbows, and dramatic weather events, every photograph tells a fascinating story. These aren’t just pretty pictures; they’re powerful reminders of how unpredictable and beautiful our natural world can be.
With public voting open for just a few more days, it’s time to explore these incredible photographs and pick your favorites.
You can find more info about Prix de la Photographie:
Extraordinary Weather Photographs That Reveal Nature’s Beauty and Fury
From breathtaking cloud formations and glowing sunsets to destructive wildfires, melting glaciers, and devastating floods, these 30 finalists capture the incredible power of our planet. Selected from over 5,500 entries, each photograph tells a unique story about weather, nature, and our changing climate.
#1. Mares de niebla by Francisco Bailón Rodríguez
Taken from the Albercutz Watchtower in Mallorca, Spain, looking towards the Formentor Peninsula, this stunning image captures the first light of dawn illuminating the fog below. As Francisco Bailon Rodriguez recalls, “it was sunrise and we had experienced several days of anticyclonic weather and nights with high humidity”.
#2. Sunset Supercell by William Huxley Eades
As sunset approached over Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia, a towering supercell engulfed the sky, with “its sculpted cloud structure stretching across the sky as the rain core glows in golden light”, says William Huxley Eades. The dramatic contrast between the storm’s dark, layered clouds and the warm colours of the setting sun makes this a striking capture of one of the atmosphere’s most powerful displays.
#3. Sunrise and Morning Glow by Weilu Chen
As the sun rose over the Hong Kong Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the morning sky was transformed into a spectacular display of golden light. Captured by Weilu Chen, the 55-kilometre-long bridge stretches across the Pearl River Delta beneath a broken layer of cloud, while rays of sunlight appear to fan outwards from the horizon. Judge Kevin Thomas notes: “This image gives a wonderful lead through the various points of interest from the suspended roadway to the bridge and then the magnificent display of crepuscular rays”.
#4. Midnight Sunbeam over Reine by Vit Javorik
High above the fjords of Reine in Norway’s Lofoten archipelago, sunlight pours between the jagged mountain peaks and into the fjord basin below. But what you might not expect is that this photo was actually taken at midnight. During the Arctic summer, the Sun can remain above the horizon around the clock, bathing the landscape in a golden glow long after most of the world has fallen dark.
“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.
#5. Mount ShastaTop Hatat Sunset by Lisa K. Kuhn
With its smooth, stacked layers glowing in the evening light, this lenticular cloud looks almost as though Mount Shasta has dressed up for the occasion. Located in northern California, USA, the 14,000-foot volcano is a well-known spot for these striking cloud formations, which can resemble giant saucers, stacks of pancakes, or even classic UFO imagery.
#6. An Oklahoma Light Show by Laura Hedien
While out storm chasing, Laura Hedien was able to capture this terrifying shot. Stretching across the horizon, a vast, swirling supercell dominates the Great Plains of Oklahoma, USA. Beneath it, a long road leads towards the storm, while the last light of the day sets.
#7. Triple strike NYC by Dan Martland
Talk about being in the right place at the right time. From Bayonne, New Jersey, USA, Dan Martland captured this spectacular scene overlooking the New York City skyline, as three lightning strikes lit the sky above the city.
#8. Heaven From Earth by Satt Pai Htun
As the morning sun rose over Taungoo, Myanmar, a layer of cloud spilled through the mountain valleys, leaving the hilltops appearing to float above a soft white blanket. Rays of light broke through the stratocumulus clouds above, illuminating the landscape and creating this breathtaking scene.
“Some of the shortlisted photographs go beyond capturing nature’s beauty, shining a spotlight on the growing impact of climate change around the world. One striking image reveals agricultural land in Iran devastated by intense heatwave-driven wildfires, while another documents the destruction left behind by wildfires in Scotland’s Cairngorms.
In Patagonia, a powerful photograph captures a glacier breaking apart, highlighting the alarming changes taking place in our frozen landscapes. Another heartbreaking frame shows densely populated communities in Bangladesh swallowed by rising floodwaters.”
#9. Close Enough by William Huxley Eades
On 23 May 2025, a powerful supercell thunderstorm near Akron, Colorado, USA, produced three tornadoes. For storm chaser William Huxley Eades, after years of near misses, this was the first tornado he had ever witnessed. “Watching it descend from the rotating supercell was one of the most exhilarating and profound moments of my life”, he recalls.
#10. Sunrise by Pyae Phyo Aung
As the Sun rose over U Bein Bridge in Mandalay, Myanmar, the sky burst into shades of gold and orange, illuminating the hundreds of small altocumulus clouds. As this historic bridge, widely recognised as the world’s oldest and longest teakwood bridge, stretches into the distance, its silhouette and passing figures are reflected in the still water below.
#11. A Supercell in the Sandhills of Nebraska by Laura Hedien
While out storm chasing in the Nebraska sandhills, USA, “Mother Nature was kind enough to give us a supercell and lightning at night”, explains Laura Hedien. A brilliant lightning strike illuminates the lake below, stretching from the storm cloud towards the ground. The sudden flash also reveals the structure of the towering supercell thunderstorm, which would otherwise be hidden. As described by Judge Kevin Thomas, it is “an unusual image that captures a moment when lightning bisects a storm cloud. The picture is beautifully lit by the flash, which picks out the detail of the cloud”.
#12. Misty Sunrise Over the Long Coc Tea Hills by Mahmudul Hasan
Captured in the delicate light of dawn, this breathtaking photo reveals the rolling tea hills of Long Coc, Vietnam, emerging through layers of mist. Waking up at 3 am, Mahmudul Hasan ventured out through the darkness to reach the viewpoint. His early start paid off as the first rays of sunlight spread across the landscape, the hills appear to rise and fall like waves, creating a scene that look like a painting.
“These images remind us that weather isn’t always a beautiful spectacle. It can be breathtaking, unpredictable, and brutally destructive.
Professor Liz Bentley, Chief Executive of the Royal Meteorological Society, believes the competition plays an important role in connecting people with weather and the changing climate. She highlights how this year’s shortlisted photographs capture both the dramatic beauty of our skies and the serious consequences of climate change. With more than 5,500 entries submitted worldwide, selecting the winners was no easy task for the judging panel.”
#13. A Winter Morning by Aung Soe Min
“This image stood out from the very first viewing”, explains Judge Dennis Oswald. “The central pagoda, rising calmly above the treetops, gives the eye a clear anchor, while the layered planes of fog, trees and distant buildings create a remarkable sense of depth. The warm, almost monochrome palette lends the scene a quiet, timeless mood, and the composition feels balanced without ever looking staged. It is a photograph that rewards a longer look and conveys the feeling of being present at that exact moment. It is a mastery of light, depth and emotional pull”.
#14. Loch Linnhe by Colin Black
Looking towards the frost-covered hills surrounding Loch Linnhe, Scotland, Colin Black “wrapped up against the cold” to capture this stunning shot, where a thin layer of fog appears to hover above the scene.
#15. Lakeland Rainbow by Mat Robinson
After a long walk in the Lake District, England, Mat Robinson spotted distant rain falling over the Pennines, while dark clouds drifted overhead. Sensing the changing weather, he turned to his partner and announced that “something good’s about to happen”. His prediction paid off, with the perfect conditions producing a spectacular double rainbow.
#16. Thoughts in Rain by Hong Jin
A passer-by becomes a dark silhouette in a puddle of rippling reflections, as their shape is distorted by raindrops falling onto the pavement. Captured by Hong Jin on a rainy day in July in Wuhan, China, this image offers a glimpse into the city’s summer, when sudden downpours can transform the streets.
#17. Nature meets energy by Sonia Turkington
Off the coast of Ingoldmells, Skegness, England, wind turbines stand against the changing Lincolnshire sky. In this striking image, Sonia Turkington captured a moment where the natural atmosphere and human technology share the spotlight. The vivid rainbow stretching across the frame provides a dramatic backdrop for the rows of turbines, creating an image that feels both peaceful and powerful.
#18. Rainbow over loch duck by Anthony Bird
Framed by the rolling hills and water below, a magnificent rainbow arches across the landscape of Loch Duck, Scotland. The scene caught Anthony Bird’s eye so quickly that there was barely time to think, as he simply had to “run outside the Airbnb” to capture it.
#19. Ice Hearts by Dominika Koszowska
After witnessing a spectacular sunrise in Łapszanka, Poland, Dominika Koszowska’s winter adventure had another surprise in store. During a treetop walk in Bachledova dolina, Slovakia, at nearly 1,200 metres above sea level, she noticed a safety wire mesh that had been transformed by a thick coating of hard, white rime ice. Delicate, repeating patterns had formed across the metal, resembling rows of frozen hearts.
#20. Before the Downpour by Lee Chun Hong
A vast blanket of dark, rolling clouds stretches across Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong, looming over the city’s skyline. The water below appears relatively calm, but the dramatic cloud formations hint at the turbulent weather approaching. Captured on a phone, Lee Chun Hong’s photo shows the moment when the sky offers a warning of what is to come.
The public voting period runs until 23:59 GMT on November 5, giving photography enthusiasts an opportunity to choose their favorite image for the Public Favorite award. Meanwhile, the expert jury will select the overall winner and category winners, with the results scheduled to be announced on November 17.
#21. Reflections with little water by Emili Vilamala Benito
Usually, only the tip of the bell tower of Sant Romà de Sau can be seen rising above the water in the Sau Reservoir, Catalonia, Spain. In this image, however, the reservoir had fallen so far that the entire church stood exposed. The village of Sant Romà de Sau dates back to the tenth century and was intentionally flooded in 1962 to create the reservoir on the Ter River. The 23-metre-tall church was the only building left, becoming the oldest standing submerged church in the world.
#22. Dying Glacier Vista of Change by Samuel Prudence
Where ice once stretched across the valley, a dark lake now sits beneath Aoraki/Mount Cook, surrounded by bare rock and deposits left behind as the Haupapa/Tasman Glacier retreats. Small fragments of ice float on the murky water, traces of a landscape that has changed dramatically over time.
#23. A Midsummer Nights Dream by Rachel Cassidy
On a balmy June evening in the North Sperrins, Northern Ireland, Rachel Cassidy witnessed “the most beautiful, dream-like midsummer night skyline”, where the “sky became alive, like an ocean of silvery waves moving across the skyline”.
#24. Fire by Erfan Samanfar
From Marvdasht, Iran, in October 2025, Erfan Samanfar captured a striking image of a farmer attempting to protect their land as fire spreads across the landscape. Wildfires need three basic ingredients: a source of heat or ignition, fuel, and oxygen. While climate change does not necessarily provide the initial spark, rising temperatures and changes in rainfall can create conditions in which fires ignite more easily, spread faster, and become more difficult to control. Longer periods of hot and dry weather can remove moisture from vegetation and soils, leaving grass, crops and other plant material highly flammable.
#25. Life on the Flooded Edge by Azim Khan Ronnie
From above, a densely inhabited community in Kishoreganj, Bangladesh, appears almost like an island, with its colourful rooftops and greenery contrasting the surrounding water. This is not an island, but a community in the wetlands, where flooding is a familiar part of life which has increasingly been putting homes and livelihoods at risk.
#26. Glacial Calving Surge by Thomas Ruimou Yu
The calving zone of the Perito Moreno Glacier in southern Patagonia, Argentina, is a dramatic 5-kilometre-wide and 70-metre-tall ice wall where massive chunks of blue ice routinely crash into Lago Argentino.
#27. A Village Underwater by Muhammad Amdad Hossain
In Kurigram, northern Bangladesh, floodwaters transformed a village landscape, leaving homes underwater and residents facing the challenges of life during the monsoon. Captured by Muhammad Amdad Hossain during the devastating floods of 2022, this image reveals the vulnerability of communities living in these areas.
#28. Wildfire haze in New York City by Brendan Chan
At first glance, the sepia-coloured haze of this photo could make New York City, USA look as though it belongs to another era. In fact, Brendan Chan captured this image in July 2026, when smoke from intense wildfires burning across Canada travelled hundreds of miles, casting an eerie brown tint over the city’s famous skyline.
#29. Exposed by Graham Niven
The Cairngorms, Scotland, the UK’s largest national park, are known for their ancient Caledonian pinewoods, vast peatlands and wildlife-rich landscapes. But in July 2026, wildfires tore through parts of the park, leaving precious habitats devastated. Among the losses were centuries-old Scots pines, some of which had stood for generations before their roots became exposed and surrounding peat were consumed by fire.
#30. Castles in the Wind by Andres Miraglia
As an iceberg drifted away from the glacier that released it in Antarctica’s Paradise Harbour, Andres Miraglia captured the moment against a pristine sunset. This is “Paradise Harbour being Paradise Harbour”, he explains, with the towering ice and evening light creating a striking contrast with the dark ocean below.
Editor’s Feedback
What an incredible collection! The 2026 Weather Photographer of the Year finalists remind us that nature doesn’t need a studio, special effects, or a carefully arranged backdrop to create extraordinary art. Sometimes, all it takes is the right place, perfect timing, and a photographer ready to capture the moment.
We’d love to know which photograph caught your eye. Browse all 30 finalists, vote for your favorite in the official competition, and tell us your personal pick in the comments. Which image deserves to take home the title this year?
