Spectacular weather photos around the planet in 2024

Clouds signaling heavy rain, snow-covered countryside, the changing of seasons. are weather scenes captured by some photographers around the world.

Standard Chartered (a British multinational bank) has just announced the list of winners of the Weather Photographer of the Year 2024 competition. According to the unit, the purpose of the event is to honor the diverse landscape of weather as well as remind people of the enormous impact of climate change. This is "Rowing" by photographer Gerson Turelly, which won the People's Choice Award. The photo shows a kayaker paddling through the streets of Porto Alegre, Brazil, after floods devastated the area in the spring. The man is moving into the more flooded area to rescue trapped victims. (Photo: Gerson Turelly).

The Royal Meteorological Society said the awards were carefully selected by a panel of experts from the fields of meteorology, photography and journalism. This year, the competition received entries from photographers in 84 countries. The photo shows a series of faint red sprites appearing in the sky over Chongming District, Shanghai after several thunderstorms raged over the city. Wang Xin's photo, titled "Spurious Lightning Dancing in the Dark," won the 2024 Weather Photographer of the Year award. The judges said the scene was spectacular because it is rare to see an image with such a magnitude and quantity of sprites. (Photo: Wang Xin).

"Circular Rainbow" was taken with a smartphone and won third place. The author of the photo, Peter Reinold, said he held his phone while passing through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (USA) to capture this complete circular rainbow. The representative of the judges said that this scene only lasted for 1 second and Peter was able to capture it. (Photo: Peter Reinold).

Lincoln Wheelwright won Young Photographer of the Year for his photo "Fire and Ice " taken from his home in Austin, Texas (USA) as a thunderstorm began to roll in. Through the work, viewers can feel the rapid warming of the Gulf of Mexico (due to climate change), thereby increasing the supply of moist air and increasing the likelihood of severe storms in the area. (Photo: Lincoln Wheelwright).

Photographer Andy Gray captured this spectacular display of frost in the Derwent Valley, England. His photo, 'Frozen Paradise,' won the judges' hearts with its color and light, as well as the sense of looming from the rolling hills, different types of trees, and mist. (Photo: Andy Gray)

'African Dust Over Athens' was runner-up in the Smartphone category. The photo shows the impact of Saharan dust on Athens in April 2023. The event was a reminder of the interconnectedness of weather patterns around the world, an aspect that particularly impressed the judges. (Photo: Lesley Hellgeth).

Ellis Skelton's "The Promise of Saturated Earth and Sky" was placed 2nd in the Young Weather Photographer category. The photographer offers a panoramic view of the Cuckmere Valley in East Sussex. The judges noted that the image appears to show two seasons: summer on the left and autumn on the right. The beauty of the sky contrasting with the flooding of the land is a reminder of both the wonder and the sorrow that the sky can bring. (Photo: Ellis Skelton)

'Untitled ' is the winner of the Standard Chartered Smartphone Weather Photographer of the Year award. The photographer was hoping to capture a sunrise but instead captured a stunning view of a smoking volcano in East Java, Indonesia. The judges praised the image for its sophistication, praising the combination of the curved lines of the landscape and trees in the foreground with the basin of clouds and blue sky above. (Photo: Nur Syaireen Natasya Binti Azaharin).

"Aria Rain" won Young Weather Photographer of the Year. Widmann's photo captured the scene during an outdoor performance by Madame Butterfly, located on the eastern shore of the Bodensee (also known as Lake Constance) in Bregenz, Austria. (Photo: Angelina Widmann).

Photographer Jamie Russell looked to the sea and air for his photo "Rainy Afternoon Over The Needles ". He describes some heavy rain starting to form about 20 miles north-northwest, likely to pass over The Needles Island (UK). "We went to Colwell Bay, and captured the rainbow over the island's ribs. However, the composition was difficult and the rough seas were a challenge. So I used a drone and the result was much more dramatic ," Russell said. (Photo: Jamie Russell).