Lightning storms, frozen lakes and more: When the weather can take your breath away
Dramatic lightning strikes, icy spectacles and sublime sun scenes are just some of the images shortlisted for the prestigious Weather Photographer of the Year competition, which is being run by the Royal Meteorological Society, in association with AccuWeather
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Thunder in Chongqing: During the early hours of the night, the photographer captured this image of lightning strikes over Chongqing in China. Image Courtesy: Luo Xing
Dam wet: Days of heavy rain in the UK led to water cascading down the dam wall of Wet Sleddale reservoir near the village of Shap in Cumbria. Andrew captured this photo as he wanted to illustrate the heavy rain and strong winds brought to the UK by Storm Dennis in February 2020. Image Courtesy: Andrew McCaren
Sunset: Following an overcast and rainy evening, the sun appeared through the clouds and mist just in time for Aung to capture this beautiful sunset photo. "Due to the sun, the pagoda became brighter". Image Courtesy: Aung Chan Thar
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star: On the most beautiful mountain in Taiwan, Rossi captured this photo of the warm sun melting the frozen mountain world of the night before. "The crystal clear ice gleams with the sunlight this morning, making the entire alpine world warm". Image Courtesy: Rossi Fang
Departing Storm Over Bembridge Lifeboat Station: After chasing storms and showers west to east across the Isle of Wight to capture some incredible rainbows, Jamie reached Bembridge as the final shower left. "In a panic (he) waded into the waist-deep water, fully dressed, just to compose this scene". Image Courtesy: Jamie Russell
In Search of Water: Periods of extreme heat in India can cause rivers and ponds to completely dry up, leaving humans and animals struggling to find water. Barun, who took this photo, explains that during "drought, the women and children of the village [in Purulia, West Bengal] have to make deep pits in the dry river, in which the frozen water quenches the thirst of the people here". The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a new report in 2021, saying that climate change affects rainfall patterns with increased rainfall in high latitudes and a decrease over large parts of the subtropics, making extreme high-temperature events more frequent, more persistent and more intense. Image Courtesy: Barun Rajgaria
Mock Mirage Sunset Over The Estuary: During a beautiful, calm evening in Tankerton, Kent, Brendan captured this image of people walking along the famous shingle 'Street', exposed at low tide, as they were treated to a spectacular mock mirage sunset over the Thames Estuary. He says that "a bonus mirage caused buildings in Southend to appear to levitate". "I hope that when people look at the photo, they not only enjoy the aesthetic dimension but will also be prompted to think a bit more deeply about the incredible processes that brought it about. It was a memorable and unexpected sunset. Inadvertently, the photograph captured some unusual phenomena and hopefully provided a thought-provoking catalyst for deeper knowledge about the atmosphere". Image Courtesy: Brendan Conway
Rain Bubble: Harsh rain in Addis Ababa flooded the streets, but Betel said that "in that misfortune comes the opportunity for photography". Image Courtesy: Betel Tibebu
Storm Eunice: After checking the time Storm Eunice would hit as well as the high tides times, Christopher discovered that the storm would hit Newhaven, East Sussex, at almost exactly high tide. When taking his photo, Christopher decided to head to high ground and stand slightly further away from the harbour wall with his back to the weather and was rewarded with a fantastic set of images. "When the storm was predicted and that it was carrying the first ever red warning for the south coast, I knew I had to find a spot to record it – this was going to be big!" Image Courtesy: Christopher Ison
Frosty Winter Sunrise Over The Gwda River: Krzysztof captured a frosty and picturesque sunrise over the Gwda River in Poland. Image Courtesy: Krzysztof Tollas
Waterlily Harvesting: During the monsoon season in the wetlands of West Bengal, Shibasish captured this image of people collecting waterlilies to sell in the local market. Image Courtesy: Shibasish Saha
Frozen: Zhenhuan captured this photo showing parts of Niagara Falls covered in ice. During spells of cold weather, the mist and spray from Niagara Falls can freeze into ice over the top of the rushing water of the waterfall, giving the appearance that the Falls have frozen whilst the water continues to flow underneath the sheets of ice. Image Courtesy: Zhenhuan Zhou