Let’s Dance With Weather: The 2024 Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year
Ah, weather! Is there anything it can’t do? It’s like that mate who shows up uninvited to the party, sometimes starts a hurricane, sometimes brings confetti and sunshine. And this year, the Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year awards have once again shown us that nature can be a bit of a diva—and who wouldn’t want to capture that for Instagram, right?
This year’s competition attracted participants from a staggering 84 countries! That’s more countries than you see in a World Cup final, but with less chance of a penalty shootout. The judges were a mix of meteorologists, photographers, and journalists—basically, very smart people who really know how to appreciate a good storm.
As you can see in the winning photo from Wang Xin of Shanghai, titled Sprites Dancing in the Dark Night, we have a candidate that looks like it jumped right off a fairy-tale book—or perhaps a horror movie. These are sprites, not the fizzy drinks you get in the supermarket, but an elusive atmospheric phenomenon that would make anyone’s amateur photography career look like child’s play.
In the second spot, Andy Gray from Matlock, UK, captured a scene entitled Hoarfrost Heaven. What a lovely name! If I had a pound for every time I’ve heard “hoarfrost” in conversation, I’d have… well, a pound. But this image, with its layers of frosty magic over the Derwent Valley, is a testament to winter’s chilly yet stunning beauty. It’s like the snowflake saw itself in the mirror and said, “Yes, darling, that’s perfect.”
The photographs speak volumes, even through the heavy lens of climate change that looms over us like that one aunt at family gatherings always bringing up politics. Professor Liz Bentley, the Chief Executive of the Royal Meteorological Society, said it best when she noted, “These winning photographs show a real window into the world’s weather and climate.” Honestly, if only our weather could be as cooperative as our social media algorithms.
“Climate change is impacting on weather patterns everywhere, and the global community needs to act now.”
And with that, let’s give a shoutout to our category winners! From Royal Meteorological Society, check out these phenomenal winners:
Category Highlights
- 3rd Place: Jamie Russell with Evening Shower over the Needles
- Smartphone Winner: Nur Syaireen Nataysya with Volcanoes
- Young Winner: Angelina Widmann with Young Rain
In a world where we’re often in conflict over trivial matters like pineapple on pizza, these photos remind us of the one universal truth we can all agree on: weather is scary, beautiful, and absolutely worth capturing—preferably without a tripod, under the cover of your cousin’s umbrella. Because let’s face it, if nature wanted to show off, we’d probably just all end up in the splash zone.
So here’s looking at you, Mother Nature. You keep doing you, and we’ll keep dancing in your rain.
This HTML document takes a conversational tone with a light-hearted and cheeky style, while still respecting the significance of the award and the subject of weather photography. The use of witty remarks, puns, and relatable analogies is designed to keep the audience engaged while delivering information about the competition and its winners.
Weather can inspire awe and fear simultaneously. Recent catastrophic events, including a hurricane in Florida, devastating floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the latest flash floods in Valencia, starkly illustrate this duality. Yet, amidst this turmoil, spectacular photographic opportunities have emerged.
Highlighting nature’s majesty and its devastating potential, The Royal Meteorological Society has unveiled the winners of the prestigious 2024 Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year competition. This year’s showcased images will serve as a poignant reminder of the striking beauty and inherent dangers posed by the forces of nature.
Attracting entries from a remarkable 84 countries, this competition explored a rich variety of visually captivating images. Judges, consisting of specialists in meteorology, photography, and journalism, sifted through numerous submissions, meticulously selecting the winners from 25 finalists based on artistic merit, technical skill, and the power to illustrate weather’s impact on human experiences.
The coveted top prize was awarded to Wang Xin from Shanghai, China, for his breathtaking photograph titled Sprites Dancing in the Dark Night. This remarkable image depicts a stunning display of sprites—an enigmatic and elusive atmospheric phenomenon—gracefully illuminating the night sky above a thunderstorm. The judges were particularly captivated by the sheer number and visibility of sprites captured in the photograph, highlighting its extraordinary nature.
Andy Gray from Matlock, UK, secured the runner-up position with his breathtaking photo Hoarfrost Heaven. This striking image showcases a picturesque winter scene, with the Derwent Valley blanketed in a delicate layer of sparkling hoarfrost. The judges applauded the photograph for its stunning colors and intricate details that create a vivid sense of depth in the layered landscape.
The contest reflects on the pressing issue of climate change. Professor Liz Bentley, Chief Executive of the Royal Meteorological Society, commented on the significance of photography in raising awareness:
“I’m delighted with the variety and quality of this year’s winning photographs which show a real window into the world’s weather and climate, in both its regional differences and its interconnectivity. From African dust impacting on Athens to tranquil weather over volcanoes, from a sudden local downpour to increased intense rainfall and flooding around the world, we are reminded that climate change is impacting on weather patterns everywhere, and that the global community needs to come together to act now and curb any further temperature rise.”
We bring you the category winners and runner-ups below. Visit the Royal Meteorological Society website to learn more about the competition.
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