The UK's Royal Meteorological Society has announced the shortlist for its 2025 Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year contest, marking the competition's 10th anniversary. Selected from over 4,000 submissions, 25 exceptional photographs showcase the extraordinary beauty and power of weather phenomena from around the globe. Public voting is now open through October 16, with winners to be announced on October 30, 2025.
This year's standout images demonstrate the remarkable range of weather photography, from rare cloud formations to powerful storms. Czech photographer Lukáš Gallo captured stunning Kelvin-Helmholtz wave clouds over Vodňany in South Bohemia, which he spotted while driving and quickly photographed from a roadside field. "I didn't plan this; it was all of a sudden. But I think that's the best kind of photograph," Gallo explained. These rare wave clouds form when there's a sharp difference in wind speed between air layers, creating spectacular formations resembling breaking ocean waves.
Another remarkable entry comes from engineer and astronomy photographer Geshuang Chen, who used a drone to capture a complete circular rainbow over Lugu Lake in China's Yunnan Province. Flying at 500 meters through drizzly conditions, Chen perfectly framed a small island at the rainbow's center. "It was drizzling on Lugu Lake. I flew my drone to a height of 500 meters, passed through the rain curtain, with my lens facing away from the sun, and captured a complete circular rainbow, which was a ring given by the sun to the lake," Chen described.
The shortlist includes dramatic weather events from multiple continents. Photographer Jadwiga Piasecka documented Storm Eunice from a sheltered position in Newhaven, UK, capturing enormous waves battling against the sea wall with winds gusting over 80 miles per hour. "I've loved big waves and storms since I was a kid – the power and energy of the sea have always fascinated me," Piasecka noted. Meanwhile, Jonah Lange photographed a dust-filled tornado near Sudan, Texas, complete with a visible satellite vortex and dark hail core, with hailstones reaching 3 inches in diameter.
Several entries showcase rare atmospheric phenomena, particularly from polar regions. Victor Cirstet, working as an Antarctic Atmospheric Scientist at Rothera Research Station, captured iridescent nacreous clouds while walking to get tea. These polar stratospheric clouds form 15-20 kilometers above Earth at temperatures below -78°C, creating shimmering pastel colors through light diffraction with microscopic ice crystals. Cirstet also photographed lens-shaped lenticular clouds over Adelaide Island, which form when moist air flows over mountain ranges.
The competition celebrates both professional equipment and smartphone photography, with several winning entries taken on mobile devices. Aung Chan Thar used his phone to capture golden sunrises over Myanmar's Inle Lake and dramatic cloud formations at Indonesia's Mount Bromo. Similarly, Simon Brown photographed temperature inversions in England's Malvern Hills with his smartphone, showing fog-filled valleys beneath clear, frost-covered peaks.
Advanced photographic techniques are also represented in the shortlist. Andy Gray used a five-second exposure to capture light trails from early morning traffic cutting through mist-filled Winnats Pass in the UK's Peak District. The technique created soft ribbons of light contrasting against the still, foggy landscape. Eloise Matthews documented a double rainbow over Slovenia's Lake Bled, crouching low to capture raindrops hitting the water's surface while framing the island church tower within the rainbow's arc.
According to Marisa Drew, Chief Sustainability Officer at Standard Chartered, the competition's 10-year history reflects changing global weather patterns. "As we mark 10 years of the competition, the Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year competition celebrates the incredible images that continue to reveal both the power and fragility of our evolving world," Drew stated. "Over the past decade, we've seen photographers across generations and geographies capture the impacts of our rapidly changing climate, documenting how dramatically these shifts can affect communities and landscapes."
The contest recognizes photographers for both technical excellence and educational value, highlighting images that teach the public about weather phenomena. Entries range from radiation fog creating mystical morning scenes over Poland's Gwda River to dramatic storm systems and atmospheric optics. The judges selected images that demonstrate high quality while effectively communicating the science behind various weather events.
Voting remains open until October 16, allowing the public to select their favorite from the 25 shortlisted photographs. The competition accepts submissions from professional cameras, smartphones, and drones, emphasizing that compelling weather photography can be achieved with various equipment types. All winners, including the public's choice, will be announced on October 30, 2025, concluding the Royal Meteorological Society's milestone 10th anniversary celebration of weather photography excellence.
