WPotY Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2024 Winners Announced 30 October 2024 The Royal Meteorological Society is delighted to announce the winners of Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2024.The winners were chosen by an international panel of judges with combined expertise in meteorology, photography, climate science and journalism. Also among the winners announced today is the ‘Public Favourite’, chosen through a popular online vote on this website.Visit the Winners’ Gallery The winner of Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year Title Prize is Wang Xin of China, for ‘Sprites Dancing in the Dark Night’, a magnificent example of red sprite lightning, which lasts just a few milliseconds, requiring patience and skill to photograph. Xin wins a £5,000 prize.Xin said, "I am very excited to win this year's championship. First of all, I would like to thank the judges for their recognition of my work, and also thank my friends who have helped me. Red sprites are one of the most fascinating atmospheric phenomena, like mysterious ghosts in the night. In the future, I will use my own camera to record more red sprites and introduce this magical phenomenon to more people, allowing them to appreciate the beauty of the earth and value our climate environment."The winner of Standard Chartered Smartphone Weather Photographer of the Year is Nur Syaireen Natasya Binti Azaharin of Malaysia, for ‘Volcanoes’. The judges loved this photographer's depiction of subtle weather features amongst smoking volcanoes in East Java, Indonesia. “Winning the Standard Chartered Smartphone Weather Photographer of the Year 2024 with ‘Volcanoes' feels both humbling and inspiring," said Nur Syaireen. "To capture a moment that speaks to the earth's raw, untamed forces and have it resonate beyond the lens is a reward in itself. This recognition motivates me to continue exploring the beauty and intensity that weather brings to our world, and I’m grateful to share this journey with others who feel the same passion. Thank you for this incredible honour.”The winner of Standard Chartered Young Weather Photographer of the Year, for under-18s, is Angelina Widmann, Austria. Her photograph ‘Rain Aria’ shows an opera singer singing through a downpour during an open-air opera performance of Madame Butterfly. Angelina said, "I've always been fascinated by weather phenomena and at some point I got into photography. The winning pictures of the RMets contest have always inspired me - to have won the Young category myself now feels amazing!"The Standard Chartered Climate AwardIntroduced for the first time in 2024 is the Standard Chartered Climate Award. The Standard Chartered Climate Award's first winner is Gerson Turelly of Brazil. Gerson wins a prize of £1,000 for his image, ‘Rowing’, showing a kayaker bravely attempting to rescue stranded people in Porto Alegre, Brazil, during the devastating floods of Spring 2024. ‘Rowing’ also wins the title of ‘Public Favourite’, winning over 30% of this year's online vote.Gerson said, “It is a great honour and a great happiness to be the first winner of the Standard Chartered Climate Award – and to win the public vote too. And being able to represent Brazil with a photograph that portrays a little of a very critical moment in the recent history of my city is something very special and important, for me and for my city.” Runners UpThe Main Title Runner Up, is Andy Gray, from the UK, whose image, ‘Hoarfrost Heaven’, depicts beautiful hoarfrost in the Peak District, UK. Andy wins £2,500. “It was a surprise but I was delighted to have been selected as a finalist in this years competition,” said Andy. “To be included in this group of prestigious photographs is an honour. But more importantly as photographers we have a duty to promote the effects of climate change across the planet and hopefully help reduce the catastrophic effects we currently see unfolding.”Third place in the Main Category goes to UK-based Jamie Russell for ‘Evening Shower over the Needles’, showing both a heavy downpour and rainbow framing the Isle of Wight Needles, a natural icon in the UK.Smartphone runner up is Lesley Hellgeth of the US, with ‘African Dust over Athens’, depicting the surreal orange glow of Saharan dust surrounding the Parthenon in Athens. “It was surreal to be on the Acropolis—a place in the world I may never be again—as the sky turned orange,” said Lesley. “Truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience in a once-in-a-lifetime kind of place. To later find myself in second place for the Standard Chartered Smartphone Weather Photographer of the Year is just as surreal. I’m immensely honoured to have my photo—and the story it tells—showcased via this venue. Ultimately, we are all interconnected and I encourage everyone who can to both travel and document that travel to help illustrate that interconnectivity to others.”Smartphone Third Place is awarded to Peter Reinold from the US, who captured a ‘Circular Rainbow’ from his aeroplane seat. He said, “I was super excited to get this news. It was my first time participating and I never expected to get this far with heavy competition from others who also submitted amazing photos – and they are all worth the title. I can't wait to participate in next year's contest.”Second Place in the Young category goes to Ellis Skelton for ‘Saturated Earth and Sky’s Promise’, who said, "My work heavily relies on the changing seasons throughout the UK, each month bringing new light & colour," said Ellis. "When I heard I had made it to second place I was over the moon, it's fantastic knowing that others feel both amazed and stunned by the events I am able to capture."Third Place in the Young category is awarded to Lincoln Wheelwright from the US for ‘Fire and Ice’, a dramatic shot of a thunderstorm rolling in. Visit the Winners’ Gallery to see all the 2024 winning images, runners up and finalists. Enjoy the Winners' Announcement videos on Instagram today by some of our judges and sponsors.The 2024 competition saw an increase in entries raising awareness of the impact of climate change on the world’s weather patterns. To highlight this, a Climate Gallery will launch on this website during COP 29 (the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference), from Monday 11 November. This will be a chance to see more of the climate change stories captured by photographers in the competition, and to learn more about how climate change is affecting different regions of the world.Don't forget to pre-order your Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2025 wall calendar now from the RMets shop, which features all of the 2024 winners and finalists.