Weather Photographer of the Year 2022 Winners Announced
(Royal Meteorological Society Weather Photographer of the Year 2022 title winner)
The Royal Meteorological Society has announced the 2022 winners of its popular, annual Weather Photographer of the Year competition in association with AccuWeather. Christopher Ison’s dramatic photo, ‘Storm Eunice’, taken in Newhaven in the UK last year, has taken the title prize. The photograph led a celebration of talented photographers of all ages from all around the world, capturing weather and climate in their most vivid forms.
Of a shortlist of 22 images chosen from entries representing 119 countries, ‘Storm Eunice’ was selected as the overall winner by an esteemed international panel of judges.
Christopher said:
“When the storm was predicted, and 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! I got there reasonably early to find many photographers already drenched in rain and seawater, standing very close to the harbour wall. I decided to head to high ground and slightly further away with my back to the weather. I was rewarded with a set of images I’m very proud of.”
What the judges commented they loved about this photo is the power of nature, reminding us how small and insignificant we are as it conveys the dramatic movement and force of the sea together with the resistance offered by a man-made building. The detail in the giant wave with face-like structures penetrating from the water gives it an almost mystical feel.
Young Weather Photographer of the Year
Supported by The Week Junior Science+Nature
Supported by The Week Junior Science+Nature
The Young Weather Photographer of the Year 2022 was awarded to Eris Pil, from Pennsylvania in the US, who turned 17 this week!
Her photo entitled ‘Mammatus Sunset’ was taken on a Google Pixel 3 phone, and Eris said:
“the sky was completely lit up in a way I had never seen before, like these beautiful backlit watercolour clouds, displaying these spectacular mammatus clouds overhead. I love mammatus clouds; this was my first time ever witnessing them. I hope I have the opportunity to see them again, and I’m excited to share what they look like with others”.
The judges commented that Eris had done exceptionally well in capturing this extraordinary image of a rare and magnificent meteorological phenomenon that can be difficult to photograph. The judges loved how the beautiful shapes of the clouds were picked out in the dying light of the sunset. The lighting of this scene is outstanding and makes the clouds look like pearl barley floating in the sky. There were a lot of photos of Mammatus clouds across all categories, but these stood out as amazing, and the judges were unanimous in their decision.
The Public Favourite
(Royal Meteorological Society Weather Photographer of the Year 2022 – Public Favourite)
Weather Photographer of the Year 2022 (Mobile Phone)
(Royal Meteorological Society Weather Photographer of the Year 2022 – Mobile Phone) winner)
In the second year of this competition category, the outstanding quality of entries meant that the judges decided to combine the top images with the main category to form the public vote. However, the judges were left in no doubt that the mobile phone winner should be Aung Chan Thar from Myanmar with ‘Sunset’.
Following an overcast and rainy evening, the sun appeared through the clouds and mist just in time for Aung to capture this beautiful sunset photo. Aung said, “Due to the sun, the pagoda became brighter”.
The judges commented that the way the quality of the light affects the atmosphere is just lovely, and the metallic golds and yellows are carried on into the sky beautifully. The rising mists enhance the atmosphere around the road and the golden globe structure in the foreground. The sun disappearing behind the clouds also seems to form an interesting planetary relationship with the globe that adds to this late evening scene.
The Runners Up (decided by Judging Panel)
Weather Photographer of the Year
- 2nd Place: Zhenhuan Zhou from Toronto, Canada – Frozen
- 3rd Place: Emili Vilamala Benito from Barcelona, Spain – Ghost Under the Cliff
Young Weather Photographer of the Year
- Runner up: Shreya Nair (age 14) from India – Tyndall Effect
Weather Photographer of the Year (Mobile Phone)
- Runner up: Vince Campbell from Penrith, UK – Scotch Mist
The winners were announced on Thursday, 6 October at 6 pm (BST) on the Royal Meteorological Society’s Instagram channel (rmets_).
All the winners and finalists can now be seen on the RMetS website: www.rmets.org/photography
The calendar featuring all the winners and finalists of Weather Photographer of the Year 2022 is now on pre-sale via the RMetS online shop.
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Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter is a British photography journalist, editor, curator, and the founder of *TheAppWhisperer.com*, one of the world’s leading platforms dedicated to mobile photography and art. Since its launch in 2009, TheAppWhisperer has become an international hub for artists of all levels to discover, learn, exhibit, and engage with contemporary photographic practice.Built on principles of inclusivity, accessibility, and artistic excellence, Joanne has spent almost two decades championing mobile photography as a serious artistic medium. Through interviews, critical essays, exhibitions, competitions, and education, she has helped shape and document the evolution of mobile art on a global scale.Her work has taken her internationally, lecturing on photography and mobile art at institutions and events including the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, alongside appearances in the UK and Europe. She has served as a juror for international photography and mobile art awards across Portugal, Canada, the United States, South Korea, Italy, and the UK.Joanne is also the founder of *TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com*, one of the first online galleries dedicated exclusively to collectible mobile art, connecting artists with collectors across Europe, the United States, and Asia.Before founding TheAppWhisperer, Joanne worked extensively in print journalism and photographic publishing, including roles at a paparazzi photo agency and as deputy editor of a leading photography magazine. Her freelance journalism, criticism, and commentary have been published widely in both the UK and the US, with bylines in *The Times*, *The Sunday Times*, *The Guardian*, *Popular Photography*, *NikonPro*, *DPReview*, *Which?*, *Vogue Italia*, *LensCulture*, the *BBC*, and more recently, the *Financial Times*, where her published letters on photography continue to contribute to wider conversations around the medium.Alongside her editorial and curatorial work, Joanne’s own photographic practice has been exhibited internationally across the UK, Europe, South Korea, and the United States. Her work increasingly explores themes of grief, loss, death, memory, and the body.Her current research interests centre on grief, death, and poverty, with forthcoming postgraduate study leading towards doctoral research in these areas.Joanne is currently developing new long-form writing and photographic projects and is available for commissions, editorial projects, speaking engagements, and collaborations.Contact: joannetheappwhisperer@gmail.com)
