The winners of this year’s Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year Competition have been announced.
The top prize has been awarded to Geshuang Chen and Shuchang Dong for their incredible photo 'The Gorgeous Ring', taken over a lake in China.
“It was drizzling on Lugu Lake [In China’s Yunnan Province]," says engineer and astronomy photographer Chen. "I flew my drone to a height of 500 metres, 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.”
Chosen from over 4,000 entries, Chen and Dong's photo was one many remarkable shots celebrated in the awards.
'The Glorious Ring' by Shuchang Dong and Geshuang Chen – winner in the Main Category. The judges found this image particularly special, not just because it shows a rare view of a complete rainbow, but also for the perfect framing of the small island in its centre. Credit: Shuchang Dong and Geshuang Chen, Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2025'Eunice III' by Jadwiga Piasecka – runner up in the Main Category. This image was taken from a sheltered place out of reach of a storm in Newhaven on the south coast of the UK, where winds were gusting at over 80 miles per hour. “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," says Piasecka. Credit: Jadwiga Piasecka, Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2025'Sky Surfing' by Lukáš Gallo – third place in the Main Category and winner in the Public Vote. These rare ‘wave’, or fluctus, clouds (seen here in the Czech Republic) are formed when there’s a sharp difference in wind speed or direction between two layers of air, similar to the way wind can whip up waves on the surface of the sea. The result is a spectacular series of cloud curls that look like breaking ocean waves. Credit: Lukáš Gallo, Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2025'Fishing in Raining Season' by Kyaw Zay Yar Lin – winner in the Mobile Category. This photo captures the feeling of being caught in a sudden downpour. The motion blur of both the fishermen and the rain make the viewer feel part of the action, caught in the sudden intensity of a tropical storm. Credit: Kyaw Zay Yar Lin, Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2025'Path to the Heart of the Storm' by Tamás Kusza – runner up in the Mobile Category. “I knew a special moment was coming," says Tamás. "I rode the dirt road far enough until I had to stop: the sight was almost paralysing. I put my bike down and took out my camera. I stood there, facing the heart of the storm, where the power of nature and my own courage met. Would I stay and capture the storm, or turn back? But I knew: I was always heading toward the storm.” Credit: Tamás Kusza, Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2025'Eruption in the Sky' by Adrian Cruz – winner in the Young Category. Captured from a passenger plane flying between Washington DC and Orlando, this photo reveals a spectacular view of a thunderstorm cloud glowing pink against a deepening blue sky. “We were flying alongside a lightning storm, which was a pretty cool sight,” says Cruz. Credit: Adrian Cruz, Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2025'Clear Skies Ahead' by Ellen Ross – runner up in the Young Category. “I quickly grabbed my dad’s phone and took this photo,because it’s rare to see such an interesting storm," says Ross. "Also because of the small patch of blue sky behind it. I thinkit shows good days to come.” Judge Dan Green says: “I absolutely love this photo – a weather drama unfolding over the lake. The clarity of the storm front is exceptional, with some interesting detail on the edges.” Credit: Ellen Ross, Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2025'West Texas Special' by Jonah Lange – winner in the Climate Category. “Everything is becoming more extreme,” saysjudge and meteorologist Phillipa Drew. "This is a good example of an extreme case. It highlights the vastness of weather. We don’t stand much of a chance against that.” Credit: Jonah Lange, Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2025'Heading Home' by Maria del Pilar Trigo Bonnin – runner up in the Climate Category. Typhoon Rai (locally named Odette) tore across Siargao Island, Philippines, in December 2021. Bonnin took the shot from the back of another motorbike as they made their way through the devastation. Judge Rezaur Rahman says that “this feels like a decisive moment for these people. This quiet, determined moment clearly shows that the impacts of climate change are not distant or abstract, they are already reshaping lives, landscapes and the homes we hope to return to.” Credit: Maria del Pilar Trigo Bonnin, Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2025'Spray' by Shaun Mills – third place in the Public Vote. During a storm on Britain’s east coast, waves crashed against the sea defences at Overstrand, Norfolk, sending sea spray high into the air. “A photo trip to the Norfolk coast coincided with a storm, and I took the opportunity to capture some incredibly rough seas," says Mills. "The image was taken to isolate the individual spray, giving the impression of a snowstorm.” Credit: Shaun Mills, Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2025'Good Morning Ice' by Himadri Bhuyan – runner up in the Public Vote. Captured in the early winter chill of Arunachal Pradesh, India, this image reveals a frozen lake surface etched with delicate, fractal-like ice patterns. “The subzero temperature was hurting my hands and feet,” Bhuyan recalls, “but the frozen patterns caught my attention, and I had to stop and capture them.” Credit: Himadri Bhuyan, Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2025
