The Royal Meteorological Society’s 2025 Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year competition marked its 10th anniversary this year and celebrates the photographers who capture the beauty, drama, and power of weather across the globe.
With over 4,000 submissions from 84 countries, the 2025 winners> were chosen by an international panel of judges, including meteorologists, climate experts, journalists, and photographers, with members of the ITV Weather team among the panel. In addition, the public voted for their favorite images via the Royal Meteorological Society website.
Geshuang Chen and Shuchang Dong Take the Top Prize
The prestigious title of Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2025 was awarded to Chinese photographers Geshuang Chen and Shuchang Dong for their breathtaking image The Gorgeous Ring. Captured over Lugu Lake in Yunnan Province, the photo reveals a complete circular rainbow framing a small island at its center, a fleeting meteorological miracle frozen in time.
Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2025 Winner – Geshuang Chen, Shuchang Dong
“It was drizzling on Lugu Lake [In China’s Yunnan Province]. I flew my drone to a height of 500 meters, passed through the rain curtain, with my lens facing away from the sun, and captured a complete circular rainbow, which was a ring given by the sun to the lake,” engineer and astronomy photographer Geshuang Chen recalls.
Judges praised the image not only for its rarity but for its flawless composition, noting the precise alignment of the island within the rainbow. Chen and Dong were awarded a $6,567 (£5,000) cash prize, and their photograph exemplifies how technical skill, patience, and timing can transform a moment of natural beauty into an iconic image.
Main Category Runner-Up and Third Place
The runner-up in the main category, Jadwiga Piasecka from the U.K., captured the raw power of Storm Eunice from a sheltered vantage point in Newhaven on England’s south coast. With winds gusting over 80 miles per hour, Piasecka photographed enormous waves smashing against the sea wall, sending towering sprays of water into the air.
Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year Runner-Up – Jadwiga Piasecka
“From my vantage point, I watched enormous waves battling against the sea wall, sending dramatic sprays of water high into the air…highlighting just how immense the storm’s fury truly was,” Piasecka says.
Storm Eunice brought England’s highest recorded gust of 122 miles per hour and was one of several intense European windstorms in early 2022, causing widespread disruption, structural damage, and coastal flooding. Piasecka’s image captures both the immense energy of the storm and the dramatic interaction of wind, water, and human-made defenses.
“The isolated figure emphasizes the power and scale of the forces at work and the ripples on the water in the foreground add another element to emphasize the strength of the gale. Luckily most people paid attention to the rare red Met Office weather warning and did not get too close to the storm,” Judge Peter Gibbs comments.
Third place in the main category was awarded to Lukáš Gallo from the Czech Republic for his striking photograph Sky Surfing, which captures a rare Kelvin-Helmholtz wave, or fluctus, cloud. These dramatic formations appear when there is a sharp difference in wind speed or direction between two layers of air, creating curls that resemble breaking ocean waves and signaling potential turbulence. Set against a serene rural landscape dotted with round hay bales, the extraordinary clouds contrast vividly with the everyday scene below, as if nature is briefly putting on a show.
Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2025 Third Place – Lukáš Gallo
The judges recognized the photo’s combination of scientific interest and visual drama. Sky Surfing was also voted the Public Favorite, underscoring its broad appeal.
“The Kelvin-Helmholtz wave clouds are clearly the stars of the show, one of the best examples I’ve seen. These clouds are usually so fleeting,” says Judge Peter Gibbs.
Mobile Weather Photographer of the Year
The Mobile Weather Photographer of the Year was awarded to Kyaw Zay Yar Lin from Myanmar for his striking image Fishing in the Raining Season. The photograph captures the urgent intensity of a sudden tropical downpour, with two fishermen working swiftly, one paddling through dark waters, the other bailing water from the boat. Their bright orange and blue clothing stands out vividly against the heavy sheets of rain streaking across the frame, while motion blur conveys the storm’s chaotic rhythm, drawing the viewer into the action. The rower demonstrates the Intha people’s distinctive technique, standing at the stern with one leg wrapped around a single oar to glide smoothly through the lake’s reeds.
Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year Mobile Category Winner – Kyaw Zay Yar Lin
The runner-up in the Mobile Category, Tamás Kusza from Slovakia, captured the raw intensity of a summer storm in his photograph Path to the Heart of the Storm. A dirt track winds through the countryside in Ožďany, drawing the eye toward dark, swirling clouds on the horizon. In the middle of the path, Kusza’s mountain bike lies momentarily still as he faces the approaching storm.
Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year Mobile Category Runner-Up — Tamás Kusza Young Weather Photographer of the Year
The Young Weather Photographer of the Year 2025 title was awarded to Alex Cruz from the United States for his striking image Eruption of the Sky. Captured from a passenger plane flying between Washington, DC, and Orlando, Florida, the photograph reveals a towering thunderstorm cloud glowing pink against a deepening blue sky.
“We were flying alongside a lightning storm, which was a pretty cool sight,” Cruz recalls.
Standard Chartered Young Weather Photographer of the Year 2025 Winner – Alex Cruz
“That towering cliff of bubbled-up cloud set against that beautiful backdrop of pink fanning out behind it. It feels like a peek into a landscape that we’re not supposed to see,” Judge Becky Mantin says.
The runner-up in the Young Weather Photographer category, Ellen Ross from the United States, captured a striking moment of transition over Lake Michigan with her image Clear Skies Ahead. While paddleboarding with her father, Ross noticed an unusual storm forming and quickly grabbed her dad’s phone to capture the scene. A towering storm cloud swept across the water, its dark underside casting a shadow over the lake, while a small patch of blue sky peeking through hinted at calmer weather to come.
Standard Chartered Young Weather Photographer of the Year 2025 Runner-Up – Ellen Ross New Climate Category Highlights Climate Change
The winner of the Standard Chartered Climate Category, Jonah Lange from the United States, captured a spiraling column of dust and wind dominating the Texas Plains in his photograph West Texas Special, taken on 25 April 2025 near Sudan, Texas.
“This tornado picked up tons of dust as it landed. I peered on from the south side as it moved slowly off to the east. West Texas is known for dust… as shown here,” Lange says.
Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2025 Climate Award Winner – Jonah Lange
The runner-up of the Standard Chartered Climate Category, Maria del Pilar Trigo Bonnin from the Philippines, captured a poignant moment of resilience in her photograph Heading Home. Two men ride along a debris-strewn road, making their way home through the aftermath of Typhoon Rai (locally named Odette), which tore across Siargao Island in December 2021.
“I handheld the camera and captured the moment quickly; the stillness, the chaos, and the long shadows told the story of what we had just lived through,” photographer Maria del Pilar Trigo Bonnin says.
Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2025 Climate Award Runner-Up – Maria del Pilar Trigo Bonnin
Typhoon Rai struck as a Category 5 storm, with winds exceeding 155mph (250 km/h), rapidly intensifying over warm ocean waters, a pattern becoming more common with climate change. The storm flattened trees, tore apart homes, and upended lives within hours, leaving a landscape of devastation contrasted by the low afternoon sun casting long, cinematic shadows.
A Decade of Inspiring Photography
“A huge congratulations to all our winners and runners-up. From storms in Texas to a rare full circular rainbow, these photographs tell powerful stories and highlight the urgent impact of climate change,” says Professor Liz Bentley, Chief Executive of the Royal Meteorological Society.
“This year’s winning images showcase the incredible talent of photographers whose work highlights the emotional connection photography creates in raising awareness of our changing climate. We’re proud to support this competition, which reinforces the urgent need to adapt, respond, and build resilience to climate impacts,” Marisa Drew, Chief Sustainability Officer at Standard Chartered, adds.
Image credits: Royal Meteorological Society, Individual photographers as credited