Rain, hail or shine! Weather Photographer of the Year finalists are revealed
Thirty images have been shortlisted for the Weather Photographer of the Year 2026 competition, with the public now invited to vote for their favourite. The photographs capture striking weather and climate scenes, from rainbows to lightning and supercell storms, and the winner will receive £1,500.
Among the contenders are Laura Hedien’s image of a swirling supercell over Oklahoma, Mat Robinson’s double rainbow in the Lake District and Dan Martland’s photograph of three lightning strikes above New York City. Martland took his picture from Bayonne, New Jersey, using a light trigger after monitoring storm activity on radar.
In short
- Thirty images are shortlisted for the 2026 weather photography prize.
- The public can vote for their favourite photograph.
- The overall winner will receive £1,500.
Explained simply
The Weather Photographer of the Year competition recognises photographs of weather and its effects. Its shortlist brings together scenes captured by photographers in different places and conditions, from rainbows and lightning to powerful storms.
The shortlisted images are chosen for the competition, and the public can vote for a favourite. The photographers include Laura Hedien, Mat Robinson and Dan Martland, whose photographs show a storm over Oklahoma, a rainbow in the Lake District and lightning above New York City. The winning photographer receives a £1,500 prize.