25 Outstanding Winners of the 2024 Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year Awards

The Royal Meteorological Society has revealed the winners of the 2024 Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year Awards, showcasing extraordinary images that capture the beauty and power of weather phenomena worldwide.

The top honor went to Wang Xin from Shanghai, China, for the stunning photograph titled "Sprites Dancing in the Dark Night". Captured in Chongming District during intense thunderstorms around Shanghai, Xin’s photo features rare red sprites—a fleeting, atmospheric phenomenon—illuminating the night sky. Judges were captivated by the image’s detail and the unique visibility of multiple sprites, making it a remarkable and rare capture. For this exceptional work, Xin was awarded a £5,000 cash prize, celebrating the photographer’s skill in unveiling the awe-inspiring mysteries of our atmosphere.

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#1. Weather Photographer, Winner: Sprites Dancing in the Dark Night by Wang Xin

"Photographer Wang Xin had to be extremely patient to capture this magnificent example of red sprite lightning in the Chongming District of Shanghai. Much like the ethereal, fairy-like sprites of folklore, red sprites are particularly difficult to see or photograph. Our judging panel commented that it is rare to see an image with this extent and number of sprites."

#2. Smartphone Weather Photographer, Winner: Volcanoes by Nur Syaireen Natasya Binti Azaharin

"Photographer Nur Syaireen Natasya Binti Azaharin 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. Sitting above the low-level stratus clouds, she was afforded a tranquil view of the peaks in the early morning light and snapped the scene with her Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4. 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 "

#3. Young Weather Photographer, Winner: Rain Aria by Angelina Widmann

"Young photographer Angelina Widmann 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 noted how the “the rain made the plot even more dramatic”. This photo was taken with a telephoto lens due to the distance between Angelina and the stage. She used a short exposure to capture the falling drops, before sprinting to safety to avoid damaging her camera!"