Red lightning, flood and dust from the Sahara: 10 best photos of weather phenomena in the world in 2024

The Royal Meteorological Society (UK) has announced the winners of this year's Weather Photographer of the Year competition for the best weather photography in the world. The judges selected the most interesting of 25 photos submitted by photographers from 84 countries, and the final decision was made by an international jury.

In addition to showcasing beautiful photographs, the contest organizers hope to draw attention to the many environmental issues facing our planet. IflScience offers to view the top 10 images, which show red lightning, flood, frost, and dust from the Sahara.

"From African dust affecting Athens to calm weather over volcanoes, from a sudden local downpour to increased intense rainfall and flooding around the world. We remind you that climate change is affecting weather conditions everywhere. The global community must come together to curb any further temperature rise," said Professor Liz Bentley, Chief Executive of the Royal Meteorological Society.

The main prize of the competition was awarded to Wang Xin from China for his image under the mysterious title "Sprites Dancing in the Dark Night".

Traveling in Shanghai's Chongming district amidst a severe thunderstorm, Xin managed to capture a flickering red squall in the clouds. This form of short-lived light event is very rarely seen in the upper atmosphere when thunderstorm lightning is raging below. It is extremely difficult to capture on camera, scientists say.

Andy Gray from the United Kingdom took second place with his photo "Frosty Paradise," which depicts a frosty day over the Derwent Valley, England.

And the third place went to Jamie Russell from the UK for his photo "Evening Shower Over Pine Needles".

"The big showers started developing about 30 kilometers to the northwest. Realizing that they might cross the Needles with a rainbow, I got my camera ready," commented Jamie.

The contest also offers prizes for images taken with a smartphone rather than a professional camera. In this category, the winner was Noor Sairin Natasia Binti Azaharin from Malaysia for her amazing shot of smoking volcanoes in East Java.

Ukrainian photographer Yevhen Samuchenko is among the winners of the competition . The photographer used a drone to take an original photo from the Kherson region. Yevhen managed to capture people standing on a frozen section of the Black Sea. This region freezes because it is fed by fresh water from the Don, Danube and Dnipro rivers, which freezes at a higher temperature than salt water.

"The winning images in this year's competition tell a powerful story about our planet and the extraordinary power of extreme weather events. Many of the images draw urgent attention to the impact of climate change on our world," said Marisa Drew, Standard Chartered's Chief Sustainability Officer.

"We hope to further raise public awareness of the threat posed by rising temperatures and related extreme weather events," Drew added.

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