The world's incredible weather events in beautiful photos

Weather as you’ve never seen it before

From lightning strikes to ethereal, mist-draped landscapes and perfectly symmetrical rainbows, the world is full of amazing weather. Capturing it in all its glory, these 22 mind-blowing photographs were shortlisted for the Royal Meteorological Society’s Weather Photographer of the Year Awards in 2022, in association with AccuWeather.

Read on to see the amazing images and learn the stories behind them…

Highway to Paradise, Črni Kal, Slovenia

Italian photographer Sara Jazbar had to wait until the perfect moment to get this shot. In fact, in the town of Črni Kal in southwestern Slovenia, fog only appears under this bridge two or three times a year. It’s caused by a unique phenomenon known as temperature inversion, which is where air descends towards the ground in an area of high pressure, causing fog, cooler air and clouds to become trapped near the surface.

Ghost Under the Cliff, Tavertet, Spain

This optical illusion, known as a Brocken Specter, happens when a person’s shadow is cast through mist or fog by sunshine from behind, making their shadow appear huge. It’s fairly common in the mountains around Tavertet, where Emili Vilamala Benito captured this image.

Waterlily Harvesting, Barrackpore, India

Many associate Asia’s monsoon season with torrential rainfall and biblical floods. But the rains are also responsible for great beauty: namely, these pink and white water lilies, which bloom naturally in waterways throughout the continent between September and October, captivating visitors with their bright colours In this stunning aerial shot by Shibasish Saha, farmers harvest the prized plants to sell in local markets.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Taiwan

Ice-covered branches become a window to the morning sunlight in this captivating image, captured on a mountain in Taiwan by Rossi Fang. The clear and shiny ice, known as glaze, forms when rain hits a surface that’s below 0°C and freezes upon contact. But while it may look incredibly beautiful, it can be extremely dangerous, as it creates a transparent and slippery surface when it forms on roads and pavements.

Storm Eunice, Newhaven, England, UK

On 18 February 2022, the UK was hit with its worst storm in decades, causing record winds of 122 miles per hour (196km/h), as well as significant damage to buildings and widespread disruption. Storm Eunice’s mighty winds also led to enormous waves along the coastline. Christopher Ison, who took this incredible shot, said: “When the storm was predicted and that it was carrying the first ever red warning for the south coast, I knew I had to find a spot to record it – this was going to be big!”

Departing Storm Over Bembridge Lifeboat Station, Isle of Wight, UK

It’s not often that you get to see a rainbow and even rarer that you see one as vibrant as this. But photographer Jamie Russell had been on a mission to capture the incredible phenomena, chasing storms all over the Isle of Wight to get the perfect shot. His final stop was Bembridge, which he reached just in time to see this rainbow – in fact, he waded waist-deep into the water, fully clothed, to capture the photograph.

Frosty Winter Sunrise Over The Gwda River, Pila, Poland

In wintertime, there are few sights more beautiful than a clear, frosty morning. Here, photographer Krzysztof Tollas has captured a striking red sunrise over the Gwda River in northwestern Poland, made all the more ethereal by mists rising off the water and snow-capped trees in the distance.

Circle The Wheat, Russell, Kansas, USA

The menacing cloud in this image, captured by Laura Heiden, is known as a supercell. These are some of the most destructive storm clouds in the world, which can lead to extreme weather including hail, strong winds, flash flooding and even tornadoes. Speaking about her photograph, Heiden said: “There is nothing like the feeling of standing before something so massive and potentially destructive but yet so incredibly majestic and beautiful.”

Solar Halo making an appearance over Adelaide Island, Antarctica

Photographer Thomas Chitson spent three months studying Antarctica’s weather at the Rothera Research Station, where he observed sun haloes such as this one a number of times. They’re formed when the sun reflects or refracts light from ice crystals in clouds, producing a white – or even faintly coloured– ring around it. 

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Solitude, Rimavská Sobota, Slovakia

Sunflowers are usually seen as a symbol of summer, yet in this moody and atmospheric photograph they take on an entirely different kind of beauty. The image was taken by Tamás Kusza, who was setting up to photograph a field of sunflowers when he noticed a lone bloom facing the other way, seemingly illuminated by a glimmer of sunshine through the dark clouds.

Frozen, Ontario, Canada

Photographer Zhenhuan Zhou, who had two images shortlisted in the awards, shows the Canadian Niagara Falls in a whole new light in this impressive shot. During cold weather, mist and spray at the top of the falls can freeze into icicles, which have been revealed in incredible detail in the mesmerising photograph.

Sunset, Mon State, Myanmar

The Kyaiktiyo Pagoda, also known as Golden Rock, is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in southern Myanmar. The unusual monument looks especially striking in this sunset photograph, which was captured by Aung Chan Thar in the precise moment when light glimmered through the rain clouds, illuminating its golden spire.

Scotch Mist, Loch Lomond, Scotland, UK

Taken during an early morning walk up Cruach Tairbert, this image of mist above the forest was captured by Vince Campbell. “The woods, the loch and Ben Lomond were bathed in 'Scotch mist'. This shot was taken just before the sun put in an appearance,” he said. 

Winter's Icy Grip, Kurravaara, Sweden

The leaf-like shapes on this frosty window are caused by dust, scratches and other tiny imperfections on the glass, which cause ice crystals to branch out and form beautiful patterns. The image, which was praised for its attention to detail and framing, was captured in northern Sweden by Felipe Martin Menzella.

Mock Mirage Sunset Over The Estuary, Tankerton, England, UK

The incredible occurrence known as a mock mirage happens when there are multiple layers in the atmosphere with different temperatures, which cause the sunlight to be refracted differently and objects to be distorted. Seen here above Tankerton, Kent, this photograph was taken by Brendan Conway.

Dreaming Of Lightning, Sant Pol de Mar, Barcelona, Spain

You might be surprised to learn that lightning is actually very common – in fact, the Earth’s surface is hit by it 44 times a second. It’s caused when electrical particles collide within clouds and negative electrical charge travels downwards in a zig-zagging pattern, attracting a positive charge as it nears the ground which creates the bright, flashing light. This image was taken near Barcelona by Enric Navarrete Bachs, on a full moon night just as a storm was moving away.

Rain Bubble, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Seeing a harsh flood as an opportunity to take great photographs, Betel Tibebu took to the streets of Addis Ababa to capture the water. The rain bubbles you can see here are formed when raindrops trap gas as they hit the water’s surface, creating a thin sphere of liquid around it.

Waterspout In Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

A waterspout – the dark column in the right side of this image – is a rotating pillar of air that forms over water and is often associated with stormy conditions. This dramatic photograph was captured by Carlos Castillejo Balsera, who arrived in the middle of the night before sunrise to take the stunning shot.

In Search Of Water, Purulia, India

Due to climate change, the droughts that affect India and other parts of the world are becoming longer and more intense. In the village of Purulia, West Bengal, Barun Rajgaria’s photograph depicts a couple of young boys digging a pit in the dried-up riverbed to find water.

Peaceful, Ontario, Canada

Living up to its title, this minimalist image shows a snow-blanketed farm in southern Ontario, Canada. It was captured by Zhenhuan Zhou in February 2022, when the region was hit by its worst snowfall in decades and scenes like this became extremely common.

Thunder In Chongqing, Chongqing, China

Lightning usually only lasts a fraction of a second, so it can be hard to capture on camera. Photographer Luo Xing took this dramatic image of Chongqing, southwestern China, in the middle of the night, with a multitude of bright sparks seen above the city’s skyline. 

Dam Wet, Shap, England, UK

Storm Dennis, which hit the UK just days before Storm Eunice, caused heavy rainfall and flooding in many parts of the country. In this playful image, photographer Andrew McCaren encapsulated the memorable sight of Cumbria’s Wet Sleddale Dam overflowing, with a vibrant, inverted umbrella serving as the focal point in front of the wall of water. 

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Want more? Check out the photographs from last year's Weather Photographer of the Year Awards