Weather Photographer of the Year 2021
Shortlist announced for the public to vote for their winner
Dramatic clouds, majestic halos and rainbows, rare lightning sprites, floods and magical mists are just some of the photos making up the shortlist in the Royal Meteorological Society ‘Weather Photographer of the Year 2021’.
A panel of experts have decided their top three winners in the main category of the competition, in association with AccuWeather, and the public now has a chance to vote for their favourite from the 21 finalists, with all winners announced on 16 October. To see the shortlisted images and vote for your favourite, visit photocrowd.com/wpotyvote. The vote is open from 11am (BST) on 26 August and closes on 23 September at midnight (BST).
The annual competition continues to grow, with more than 8,900 photographs submitted by over 3,300 photographers from 114 countries, showcasing the awe and majesty of the world's weather and the consequences of climate change.
The search for the 2021 Weather and Young Weather Photographer of the Year began earlier this year with a call for the best photographs depicting weather from around the world. New for this year was also a mobile phone category, which attracted over 3,250 entries.
Liz Bentley, Chief Executive of the Royal Meteorological Society, said:
“This is our sixth year of the competition and it never fails to amaze me the quality and breadth of images that we receive. Weather and climate is something that we all share, but the drama, as well as the beauty of this force of nature, is something that can be truly unique to specific parts of the world. It’s a privilege to be able to share in those moments as we look through the entries. Many of the photographers capture it so beautifully that you almost feel as if you were there.”
AccuWeather, Senior Weather Editor, Jesse Ferrell commented:
“As always, I was very impressed with the quality and calibre of submissions to this year’s competition. These photographs, whether taken on a DSLR or someone's mobile, represented the shared global appreciation for the beauty of weather and the sheer creativity of this growing community."
The winners of the main and mobile categories for 'Weather Photographer of the Year 2021’, ‘Young Weather Photographer of the Year 2021’, ‘Public Favourite’ and the runners up from each award will be announced at RMetS WeatherLive: From One Extreme to Another. This online event aimed at weather enthusiasts will explore and discuss a range of weather extremes that have occurred over the past year, from extreme heat, wildfires and drought, to flooding and storms. It takes place on Saturday 16 October 2021, 1-4 pm (BST). For more details and to register, please visit rmets.org/weatherlive2021
The calendar featuring all the winners and finalists of Weather Photographer of the Year 2021 will go on sale via the RMetS online shop later this year.