This year’s competition—marking a decade of the Standard Chartered Weather Photographer awards—brought together thousands of images from around the world and reminded us why weather photography continues to move, surprise and inspire. Photographers of all backgrounds submitted scenes that range from intimate human moments to rare atmospheric spectacles, and the winners chosen by an international panel capture both the power and the beauty of the sky in ways that lift the spirit.
A rare, perfect ring
At the heart of the Main Category winner is a simple, astonishing alignment. Engineer and astronomy photographer Geshuang Chen describes the moment he captured the image:
“It was drizzling on Lugu Lake [In China’s Yunnan Province]. I flew my drone to a height of 500 metres, 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.”
That description—utterly direct—matches a photograph that feels like a private gift: a full-circle rainbow framing a small island at its centre. The technical skill (a drone flown through a rain curtain) and the serendipity of perfect alignment combine to produce an image that’s both rare and quietly joyful.
The raw drama of the sea
Runner-up Jadwiga Piasecka took us to the edge of a storm with a single, cinematic frame. Her account of witnessing the scene puts us with her on the shore:
“From my vantage point, I watched enormous waves battling against the sea wall, sending dramatic sprays of water high into the air…highlighting just how immense the storm’s fury truly was.”
That feeling—of standing safely back and witnessing nature’s drama—comes through in every spray and curl of water in the photograph. It’s an image of awe, not fear, and it celebrates the elemental relationship between photographer and environment.
Unexpected skies and unplanned brilliance
Other winners remind us that the best photographs often arrive unplanned. Lukáš Gallo’s perfectly timed capture of Kelvin-Helmholtz wave clouds—those cloud curls that look like breaking ocean waves—was taken on the roadside after he “didn’t plan this; it was all of a sudden. But I think that’s the best kind of photograph.” His image rewards patience, curiosity and the willingness to stop and look up.
Life in motion: mobile and young categories
The Mobile Category winner, Kyaw Zay Yar Lin, freezes the urgent motion of fishermen working through a sudden downpour: blurred rain, quick hands, and clothing that pops against a storm-darkened scene. It’s a photograph that puts the viewer in the moment—alive to movement and human resilience.
In the Young Category, Adrian Cruz captured an otherworldly view from an airplane: “We were flying alongside a lightning storm, which was a pretty cool sight,” he says, and the result reads like a flash of wonder—an enormous thundercloud glowing pink against deepening blue as the day closes. Ellen Ross, the runner-up in the young category, also shared a spontaneous moment: “I quickly grabbed my Dad’s phone and took this photo, because it’s rare to see such an interesting storm. Also because of the small patch of blue sky behind it. I think it shows good days to come.” Both young photographers remind us that curiosity and a quick hand are often all it takes to capture something unforgettable.
Stories of place and people
Several images in the winners’ gallery focus on human stories amid weather events: a striking shot from the Philippines taken by Maria del Pilar Trigo Bonnin shows people making their way home through debris after a storm, and other photographs document the livelihoods and daily rhythms that persist even when the sky grows fierce. These images are tender and respectful; they tell stories without spectacle, and they highlight the different ways people meet the elements.
Why these images matter
Across categories—from the main prize to mobile and youth awards—the winning images share common strengths: technical skill, timing, and an ability to turn dramatic or fleeting weather into something intimate and evocative. They remind us that weather photography isn’t just about dramatic extremes; it’s about connection—with a place, with a fleeting light, and with a moment that will never be the same again.
If you’d like to see the full winners’ galleries and explore the captions that accompany each image, the Royal Meteorological Society has made them available online. These photographs are invitations: to look up, to wake to the small and big wonders overhead, and to celebrate the way a single frame can make us feel a little more alive.
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