Weather Photographer of the Year 2026 Shortlist: 30 Finalists, 13 Countries

The global search for the year's most arresting meteorological imagery has reached its public phase, offering a sweeping view of atmospheric grandeur and ecological stress across the globe. The Royal Meteorological Society officially opened the public ballot for its Weather Photographer of the Year 2026 competition, turning a vast international field into a curated gallery of thirty finalists spanning thirteen countries. Selected from more than 5,500 total entries submitted to the eleventh annual competition, the shortlisted frames capture fleeting atmospheric phenomena alongside the stark realities of a warming world.

Now entering its second decade, the international contest balances aesthetic achievement with scientific documentation. Expert judges evaluated submissions based on creativity, meteorological interest, and originality. According to Freeyork, the resulting shortlist encompasses a striking variety of conditions, ranging from towering supercells and delicate rime ice forming "icy hearts" on mountain mesh fences to double rainbows arching over the Scottish Highlands and a single-exposure frame capturing three simultaneous lightning bolts striking New York City skyscrapers.

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Storm photography is prominently represented across the collection. CameraJabber notes that practitioners such as William Huxley Eades have multiple images in contention, alongside frames by Laura Hedien, Dan Martland's lightning capture in New York, Thomas Ruimou Yu's glacial calving documentation, and Lisa K. Kuhn's study of lenticular clouds over Mount Shasta. Locations on the shortlist range from Oklahoma and Nebraska to Loch Linnhe in Scotland, Reine in Norway’s Lofoten Islands, and Mount Shasta in California.

Yet beyond dramatic skies, the collection confronts pressing environmental challenges. Several shortlisted frames document ecological destruction linked to shifting weather patterns. Entries feature agricultural lands in Marvdasht, Iran, consumed by heatwave-driven fires, wildfire aftermaths in the Scottish Cairngorms, wildfire haze in New York City, calving ice masses in Patagonia, and densely populated communities in Bangladesh submerged by floodwaters. As detailed in the society's announcement, these visual records function as both art and warning.

"This competition continues to show us just how powerful photography can be in connecting people with weather and our changing climate. The incredible images shortlisted this year don’t just showcase the breathtaking, dramatic beauty of our skies, they also serve as a critical reminder of the impacts of climate change."

Professor Liz Bentley, Chief Executive of the RMetS, via Royal Meteorological Society

The evaluation structure divides responsibilities between everyday enthusiasts and professional authorities. While global voters determine the "Public Favourite" award, a separate expert panel selects the overarching category victors. That jury comprises meteorological and visual arts figures, including Professor Liz Bentley, ITV Weather presenters Laura Tobin and Alex Beresford, photography specialists Dennis Oswald and Tom Prater, and SheClicks founder Angela Nicholson. Furthermore, organizers explicitly prohibit AI-generated images, ruling out generative tools for adding, moving, or removing parts of a scene.

Observers examining the gallery are advised by Cameralookout to appreciate the distinction between immediate meteorological observation and long-term climate attribution. While an individual photograph records a specific instant of extreme weather, comprehensive scientific analysis requires broader historical data. Captions and photographer logs provided in the official gallery help contextualize the science behind the weather phenomena, detailing the photographer's adventures and techniques.

With the public ballot active until the absolute deadline of 23:59 GMT on November 5, 2026, voters have a narrow window to review the resources provided in the official shortlist gallery. Following the closure of the vote, organizers will tabulate the results ahead of the official winner announcements scheduled for November 17, 2026.