Weather photographer of the year 2019 announced after slew of spectacular images shortlisted
Pictures capture ‘beauty, power and fragility’ of Earth’s systems, say meteorologists
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The Royal Meteorological Society (RMS) has announced the winner of its Weather Photographer of the Year award, with lightning strikes and billowing storms among the top entries.
Gareth Mon Jones won the overall prize for his image of a cloud inversion filling the valley beneath him in Snowdonia.
Some two dozen stunning images were included among the winners and shortlisted entries, ranging from snow-covered trees backed by the Northern Lights to massive waves crashing into a lighthouse at sunrise.
Liz Bentley, the chief executive of the RMS, praised the “quality and quantity of outstanding images” submitted for the 2019 competition.
“The photographs speak volumes about our obsession in the weather – capturing its beauty, its power and its fragility in the face of human activity,” she added.
Storms were a popular subject this year, with lightning strikes and supercell weather systems making multiple appearances.
Hugo Begg came first in the 17-and-under age category with his image of lightning spearing through low clouds in the Trail Bay National Park.
And two lenticular clouds made the shortlist, including one that looked like a cinnamon roll to photographer Bingyin Sun.
The announcement comes a month after the Natural History Museum announced the top wildlife photographers of the year.
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