The Royal Meteorological Society has opened the public vote for the 2023 Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year competition. Now in its eighth year, the competition is a window to the vastly different climates experienced across the world and provides an international platform to highlight global weather events.
The 2023 Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year competition showcases some of the world’s most striking weather phenomena, alongside images that narrate compelling stories about the impacts of climate change. Highlights include rare red sprite lightning, dramatic tornadoes and cloud formations, ice covered landscapes, flood filled streets, dry riverbeds and deadly forest fires.
The shortlisted images emphasise the beauty and fragility of our weather and the urgency to limit further global warming while adapting to the changes we are already experiencing. The organisation invites people to vote for their favourite photograph from a shortlist of the finest entries.
In July, a judging panel of photography experts and meteorologists selected the shortlist from the competition’s main and smartphone categories and voted for their overall winners.
The public has until 24 September 2023 to vote for their favourite finalist. The vote closes on Sunday 24 September at 23:59 (BST).
To see the shortlisted images and vote for your favourite, visit: rmets.org/SCWPYvote
The competition sees talented amateur and professional photographers from 94 countries showcasing their best weather and climate photographs and sharing the stories that the images reveal.
Weather systems shape and impact the global economy, human health, our environment, and life choices. Today, climate change is altering our weather and triggering long term changes to weather patterns, leading to increasingly frequent and unprecedented events, such as historic floods and droughts. Raising awareness of these changes and their impact on society and the environment is critical to galvanising action to mitigate against and adapt to climate change globally.
Professor Liz Bentley, chief executive of the Royal Meteorological Society (RMetS), said: ‘In my eighth year of judging the Weather Photographer of the Year competition, the entrants never fail to astonish me. This year’s shortlist shows the world’s weather in all its variety, beauty, power and even its capacity to devastate.
‘Images bear witness to the impact of flooding, wildfires and drought on both natural habitats and human life. We hope that this will bring attention to the increasing frequency of these events caused by climate change, and prompt swifter action.’
Marisa Drew, chief sustainability officer at Standard Chartered, commented: ‘Congratulations to the finalists shortlisted for the Standard Chartered sponsored Weather Photographer of the Year competition.
‘Their images of beautiful and striking scenes from around the world so movingly depict the impacts of climate change on our planet. Thank you to all those who entered the competition for sharing your talent.’
The winners and runners up of the main and mobile categories for ‘Weather Photographer of the Year 2023’, ‘Young Weather Photographer of the Year 2023’, supported by The Week Junior Science+Nature, and the result of the public vote will be revealed on Thursday, 5 October. The announcement will be made via RMetS Instagram stories (rmets_) at 6 pm (BST) before being shared on the Royal Meteorological Society’s website and other channels.