Royal Society Names 30 Weather Photo Finalists
The Royal Meteorological Society has shortlisted 30 images from 5,500 entries in its Weather Photographer of the Year 2026 competition.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Photography
The Royal Meteorological Society announced 30 finalists in its Weather Photographer of the Year 2026 competition, selected from 5,500 entries by a judging panel. Public voting for the winner remains open until November 5.
Why it matters
The competition showcases atmospheric phenomena captured by amateur and professional photographers worldwide, drawing attention to weather and climate through visual storytelling. Public voting gives audiences a direct role in choosing the winning image.
The competition drew 5,500 entries, and the judging panel shortlisted 30 finalists. Finalist images include rainbows, lightning, mist over Vietnamese hills, a calving glacier in Argentina, and wildfire smoke over New York City.
The players
Royal Meteorological Society
The Royal Meteorological Society is a long-established British learned society for meteorology and atmospheric science, which organizes the Weather Photographer of the Year competition.
The details
Finalist photographs range from rainbows and lightning strikes to cloud formations, mist rolling over hills in Vietnam, and a massive ice chunk breaking from a glacier in Argentina. One image shows wildfire smoke obscuring the New York City skyline.
Timeline
Public voting for the winner closes on November 5, 2026.
Season Trajectory
The Royal Meteorological Society's Weather Photographer of the Year competition has long used images of atmospheric events to connect the public with meteorology. This year's shortlist extends that tradition across regions from Vietnam to Argentina and North America.
Readers can vote for their favorite finalist before November 5 and view the shortlisted images online. The competition offers a visual way to follow weather phenomena occurring across the world.
The takeaway
Weather imagery can reveal phenomena that are easy to overlook, from mist over hills to wildfire smoke over cities. Viewing the finalists offers a practical way to observe how weather appears across different regions.
What happens next
Public voting for the Weather Photographer of the Year 2026 winner closes on November 5, 2026.
Further reading
Explore more photography techniques and features on the site for context on how weather images are captured.
