'Dam Wet', Andrew McCaren: 'Whilst trying to visualise the heavy rainfall of March 2019 Wet Sleddale came to mind, I have driven past Wet Sleddale dam many times and seen it dry even after prolonged rainfall, but thought I would take a chance. After a 4:30am start and a two-and-a-half-hour drive from my home in Leeds to Cumbria, [England,] I made it to the location and remember shouting 'yes yes yes' as I saw the water pouring down the spillway.'
'Dam Wet', Andrew McCaren: 'Whilst trying to visualise the heavy rainfall of March 2019 Wet Sleddale came to mind, I have driven past Wet Sleddale dam many times and seen it dry even after prolonged rainfall, but thought I would take a chance. After a 4:30am start and a two-and-a-half-hour drive from my home in Leeds to Cumbria, [England,] I made it to the location and remember shouting 'yes yes yes' as I saw the water pouring down the spillway.'
'The Red Terror', Tori Jane Ostberg: 'An incredible EF2 tornado tears through a rural Colorado field after destroying a home. This tornado marked my very first day of my very first great plains storm chase adventure, and it was only a sign of the incredible things to come.'
'The Red Terror', Tori Jane Ostberg: 'An incredible EF2 tornado tears through a rural Colorado field after destroying a home. This tornado marked my very first day of my very first great plains storm chase adventure, and it was only a sign of the incredible things to come.'
'Trees & Fog', Preston Stoll: 'On the morning after a bitterly cold night in December, I left Steamboat Springs [Colorado, USA] in search of frost and any winter weather I could find. I wandered the roads and forests near the edge of the morning snow showers to find where interesting transitions in weather might be seen. This was the last photo of many taken that morning and my favourite by far. The fog bank behind the frosted trees isolates the small grove and creates a wonderfully minimalistic scene.'
'Trees & Fog', Preston Stoll: 'On the morning after a bitterly cold night in December, I left Steamboat Springs [Colorado, USA] in search of frost and any winter weather I could find. I wandered the roads and forests near the edge of the morning snow showers to find where interesting transitions in weather might be seen. This was the last photo of many taken that morning and my favourite by far. The fog bank behind the frosted trees isolates the small grove and creates a wonderfully minimalistic scene.'
'Before a Storm', Mikhail Shcheglov: 'The weather in Iceland is changing dramatically – all-time strong winds draw fantastic images in the sky, which follow each other rapidly. Sometimes they are vivid, picturesque and rich in contrast, sometimes – deep and dramatic. You need to stand by holding your camera ready to shoot the outstanding moment of nature transformation. This photo captures the surroundings of Dyrholaey Cape. Taken in the evening, a moment prior to a strong thunderstorm with hail.'
'Before a Storm', Mikhail Shcheglov: 'The weather in Iceland is changing dramatically – all-time strong winds draw fantastic images in the sky, which follow each other rapidly. Sometimes they are vivid, picturesque and rich in contrast, sometimes – deep and dramatic. You need to stand by holding your camera ready to shoot the outstanding moment of nature transformation. This photo captures the surroundings of Dyrholaey Cape. Taken in the evening, a moment prior to a strong thunderstorm with hail.'
'El Chalten,' Francisco Javier Negroni Rodriguez: 'An hour before taking this photograph I was walking along the trails that surround the beautiful rock formation known as El Chalten in Argentina, the day was very cloudy... the climate in Patagonia is somewhat unpredictable, it changes every moment and the wind is so strong that it quickly moves the clouds. Only at times could the figure of the massif be distinguished. My hope was getting to a place from where I could wait very patiently for the weather to help me and give me a window of good weather at sunset to be able to take some photos, but nature surprised me... It was incredible! Only for a moment the clouds allowed me to see El Chalten and to my surprise there was a spectacular and brilliant lenticular cloud with a beautiful and perfect figure that I had never seen. It was a unique and unrepeatable gift that sometimes reminds me of how lucky I am to be a photographer and to be able to visit different places to show the world these natural and climatic beauties.'
'El Chalten,' Francisco Javier Negroni Rodriguez: 'An hour before taking this photograph I was walking along the trails that surround the beautiful rock formation known as El Chalten in Argentina, the day was very cloudy... the climate in Patagonia is somewhat unpredictable, it changes every moment and the wind is so strong that it quickly moves the clouds. Only at times could the figure of the massif be distinguished. My hope was getting to a place from where I could wait very patiently for the weather to help me and give me a window of good weather at sunset to be able to take some photos, but nature surprised me... It was incredible! Only for a moment the clouds allowed me to see El Chalten and to my surprise there was a spectacular and brilliant lenticular cloud with a beautiful and perfect figure that I had never seen. It was a unique and unrepeatable gift that sometimes reminds me of how lucky I am to be a photographer and to be able to visit different places to show the world these natural and climatic beauties.'
'Monster', Maja Kraljik: 'This monster shelf cloud was perhaps the most beautiful structure and size over my area. I was waiting for two hours for the cloud to arrive and then it made a real mess.'
'Monster', Maja Kraljik: 'This monster shelf cloud was perhaps the most beautiful structure and size over my area. I was waiting for two hours for the cloud to arrive and then it made a real mess.'
'Small Tornado', Hadi Dehghanpour: 'Every year, the Iranian people hold a glorious ritual to mourn during Muharram. This photo was taken before the start of the mourning ceremony in the historic city of Noshabad, Isfahan. A small tornado came towards the ceremony site and tore down the tents and benches.'
'Small Tornado', Hadi Dehghanpour: 'Every year, the Iranian people hold a glorious ritual to mourn during Muharram. This photo was taken before the start of the mourning ceremony in the historic city of Noshabad, Isfahan. A small tornado came towards the ceremony site and tore down the tents and benches.'
'A Thirsty Earth', Abdul Momin (photo taken in Chittagong, Bangladesh): 'In winter the water level drops and cultivable lands get dry causing serious drought. In some areas farmers can't even use water pumps to irrigate their lands. During the drought season people usually take fields as shortcuts to go from one village to another. I have tried to capture the scene in photos using my drone.'
'A Thirsty Earth', Abdul Momin (photo taken in Chittagong, Bangladesh): 'In winter the water level drops and cultivable lands get dry causing serious drought. In some areas farmers can't even use water pumps to irrigate their lands. During the drought season people usually take fields as shortcuts to go from one village to another. I have tried to capture the scene in photos using my drone.'
"Final Stand', Tina Wright: 'This was one of the top two largest haboobs (dust storms) ever recorded in the state of Arizona. At the point of this photo it was fully mature, towering over a mile high with winds in excess of 80 miles per hour. The sun was setting, giving the dust wall its deep pink hue. It was a truly incredible sight to see!'
"Final Stand', Tina Wright: 'This was one of the top two largest haboobs (dust storms) ever recorded in the state of Arizona. At the point of this photo it was fully mature, towering over a mile high with winds in excess of 80 miles per hour. The sun was setting, giving the dust wall its deep pink hue. It was a truly incredible sight to see!'
'Frosty Bison', Laura Hedien: 'We were touring the west side of [Yellowstone National] Park. It was a very cold sunrise, the coldest of the week so far. It was near zero degrees Fahrenheit. We came around the corner in our snow coach and saw this magnificent bison just sauntering down the road as if they owned the Park and they do! Keeping the required distance we hopped out, grabbed some photos, and quickly got back in the vehicle and watched as she/he walked about five feet right past us. It was as if we were not even there. It certainly added to the ghost-like event.'
'Frosty Bison', Laura Hedien: 'We were touring the west side of [Yellowstone National] Park. It was a very cold sunrise, the coldest of the week so far. It was near zero degrees Fahrenheit. We came around the corner in our snow coach and saw this magnificent bison just sauntering down the road as if they owned the Park and they do! Keeping the required distance we hopped out, grabbed some photos, and quickly got back in the vehicle and watched as she/he walked about five feet right past us. It was as if we were not even there. It certainly added to the ghost-like event.'
'Sa Foradada Storm', Marc Marco Ripoll: 'I tried many times to catch a good lightning strike behind this rock called Sa Foradada, [Spain,] but every time I tried, the conditions were not so good. I didn't have the moon in the sky to illuminate the scene, or the lightning was too far away. This night I knew that a big storm was approaching Mallorca and all the conditions were perfect. I don't remember if the moon was full, but I remember that it was very big. This was perfect, because the moon was going to illuminate all the land and the sea and give more colour to the scene. I chose my composition, and I shot many pictures until the storm fell on me. This is one of the pictures I took that night in Sa Foradada. To see the storm and the lightning that night was something amazing.'
'Sa Foradada Storm', Marc Marco Ripoll: 'I tried many times to catch a good lightning strike behind this rock called Sa Foradada, [Spain,] but every time I tried, the conditions were not so good. I didn't have the moon in the sky to illuminate the scene, or the lightning was too far away. This night I knew that a big storm was approaching Mallorca and all the conditions were perfect. I don't remember if the moon was full, but I remember that it was very big. This was perfect, because the moon was going to illuminate all the land and the sea and give more colour to the scene. I chose my composition, and I shot many pictures until the storm fell on me. This is one of the pictures I took that night in Sa Foradada. To see the storm and the lightning that night was something amazing.'
'Dream', Madison: 'On clear and calm nights, often during winter, radiation fog can form. Overnight, the air near the ground is cooled by the land surface losing heat through radiation. If the air is cooled sufficiently (to the dew point temperature), condensation occurs and fog forms. The cool, dense air will always sink to the lowest point it can, which is why it is common to see fog in river valleys and other low-lying areas. In this image, the fog and early morning mist have been illuminated by crepuscular rays. These are beams of sunlight, which usually radiate through gaps in the clouds. The sunlight is scattered by small water droplets, dust or other dry particles, resulting in the crepuscular rays we see. Here, the trees stand in for clouds and the fog acts as the reflecting medium.'
'Dream', Madison: 'On clear and calm nights, often during winter, radiation fog can form. Overnight, the air near the ground is cooled by the land surface losing heat through radiation. If the air is cooled sufficiently (to the dew point temperature), condensation occurs and fog forms. The cool, dense air will always sink to the lowest point it can, which is why it is common to see fog in river valleys and other low-lying areas. In this image, the fog and early morning mist have been illuminated by crepuscular rays. These are beams of sunlight, which usually radiate through gaps in the clouds. The sunlight is scattered by small water droplets, dust or other dry particles, resulting in the crepuscular rays we see. Here, the trees stand in for clouds and the fog acts as the reflecting medium.'
'Under the Rainbow', Joan Randles: 'I have been capturing the semi-feral ponies of the Gower, Swansea, [Wales,] for nearly a year, spending many hours observing them and the changes to their environment. Part of following their day to day lives means photographing them in all kinds of weather conditions. On this day I remember seeing the rainbow forming after a hailstorm. Knowing that there wouldn’t be too many opportunities such as this, I swiftly left my car as the hail passed and ran down the common as I wasn't sure how long the rainbow would be full for. Furthermore, due to the rapidly changing weather, including natural lighting conditions and that I was capturing a semi-feral animal, I was having to make a decision about the composition of the image with no more than minutes to spare.'
'Under the Rainbow', Joan Randles: 'I have been capturing the semi-feral ponies of the Gower, Swansea, [Wales,] for nearly a year, spending many hours observing them and the changes to their environment. Part of following their day to day lives means photographing them in all kinds of weather conditions. On this day I remember seeing the rainbow forming after a hailstorm. Knowing that there wouldn’t be too many opportunities such as this, I swiftly left my car as the hail passed and ran down the common as I wasn't sure how long the rainbow would be full for. Furthermore, due to the rapidly changing weather, including natural lighting conditions and that I was capturing a semi-feral animal, I was having to make a decision about the composition of the image with no more than minutes to spare.'
'Baikal Treasure', Alexey Trofimov: 'I took this photo during an expedition on the ice of Lake Baikal [Russia]. On the first day we arrived at Cape Kotelnikovsky, where I was attracted by ice hummocks and a snow cover. It was noon, not really my photo time. But the light that the sun gave, refracting in blocks of ice, caught my attention and made me take this picture.'
'Baikal Treasure', Alexey Trofimov: 'I took this photo during an expedition on the ice of Lake Baikal [Russia]. On the first day we arrived at Cape Kotelnikovsky, where I was attracted by ice hummocks and a snow cover. It was noon, not really my photo time. But the light that the sun gave, refracting in blocks of ice, caught my attention and made me take this picture.'
'Brooklyn Bridge in a Blizzard', Rudolf Sulgan: 'I made this image in 2018, during a strong blizzard as El Nino’s periodic warming of water often disrupts normal weather patterns. My main concern and inspiration is that my images hopefully do a small part in combating climate change.'
'Brooklyn Bridge in a Blizzard', Rudolf Sulgan: 'I made this image in 2018, during a strong blizzard as El Nino’s periodic warming of water often disrupts normal weather patterns. My main concern and inspiration is that my images hopefully do a small part in combating climate change.'
'Lavaredo's Gloria', Alex Wides: 'In this 360-degree panorama the moon illuminates the Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Three Peaks of Lavaredo, Italy), as well as the fog and cloud that surrounds the cross on top of Mount Paterno. A magnified shadow of the photographer and the cross is also cast onto the fog below, an optical phenomenon called a Brocken Spectre. These occur when the sun or moon is low in the sky and the observer is looking down into fog or cloud from an elevated position. The sun or moon projects a shadow on the antisolar or antilunar point and this is often surrounded by delicately coloured rings, called a glory, caused by the backscattering of light by small droplets.'
'Lavaredo's Gloria', Alex Wides: 'In this 360-degree panorama the moon illuminates the Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Three Peaks of Lavaredo, Italy), as well as the fog and cloud that surrounds the cross on top of Mount Paterno. A magnified shadow of the photographer and the cross is also cast onto the fog below, an optical phenomenon called a Brocken Spectre. These occur when the sun or moon is low in the sky and the observer is looking down into fog or cloud from an elevated position. The sun or moon projects a shadow on the antisolar or antilunar point and this is often surrounded by delicately coloured rings, called a glory, caused by the backscattering of light by small droplets.'
'Tea Hills', Vu Trung Huan: 'Lost in the fairy scene. Long Coc tea hill, [Vietnam] has mysterious and strange features when the sun is not yet up. Hidden in the morning mist, the green colour of tea leaves still stands out. Early in the morning, holding a cup of tea, taking a breath of fresh air, watching the gentle green stretches of green tea hills. It is true that nothing is equal! For those who love nature, like to watch the sunrise, when standing on the top of the hill, you will the most clearly feel the transition between night and day. A large green land suddenly caught in sight. When the sun is up, everything is tinged with sunlight, on the tea buds there is still glittering morning dew, a pure beauty that makes you just want to embrace everything.'
'Tea Hills', Vu Trung Huan: 'Lost in the fairy scene. Long Coc tea hill, [Vietnam] has mysterious and strange features when the sun is not yet up. Hidden in the morning mist, the green colour of tea leaves still stands out. Early in the morning, holding a cup of tea, taking a breath of fresh air, watching the gentle green stretches of green tea hills. It is true that nothing is equal! For those who love nature, like to watch the sunrise, when standing on the top of the hill, you will the most clearly feel the transition between night and day. A large green land suddenly caught in sight. When the sun is up, everything is tinged with sunlight, on the tea buds there is still glittering morning dew, a pure beauty that makes you just want to embrace everything.'
'Ridgeline Optics', Richard Fox: 'After a foggy and snowy climb up onto Meall Nan Tarmachan (Hill of the Ptarmigans) (1043 m), [Scotland,] and along the Tarmachan Ridge, I was greeted, as I ate my lunch on Meall Garbh, to a break in the weather. The sun broke through and behind me a full fog bow, Brocken Spectre and glory. At one point there were multiple glories too.'
'Ridgeline Optics', Richard Fox: 'After a foggy and snowy climb up onto Meall Nan Tarmachan (Hill of the Ptarmigans) (1043 m), [Scotland,] and along the Tarmachan Ridge, I was greeted, as I ate my lunch on Meall Garbh, to a break in the weather. The sun broke through and behind me a full fog bow, Brocken Spectre and glory. At one point there were multiple glories too.'
'Halo', Mikhail Kapychka: 'Lunar halo over the night forest lake, Mogilev, Belarus. I suddenly saw an unusual lunar halo in the night sky and hurried into the forest to take a picture of it. It was an amazing sight when in the night sky, the halo was like the eye of God. I've never seen this form of halo before. It was freezing weather and I couldn't stay in the forest for a long time, but I really wanted to take a picture of this image.'
'Halo', Mikhail Kapychka: 'Lunar halo over the night forest lake, Mogilev, Belarus. I suddenly saw an unusual lunar halo in the night sky and hurried into the forest to take a picture of it. It was an amazing sight when in the night sky, the halo was like the eye of God. I've never seen this form of halo before. It was freezing weather and I couldn't stay in the forest for a long time, but I really wanted to take a picture of this image.'
'Mammatus Outbreak', Boris Jordan: 'This was by far the most spectacular mammatus display I've ever seen in my entire life. After a line of thunderstorms passed by and the sun disappeared behind the horizon, low-hanging mammatus clouds began to shine red and blue. At this moment I was just speechless, as the sky really looked like not from this planet. And as a nice bonus, distant lightning made the composition perfect. Mammatus mostly appear in association with strong thunderstorms, if the sinking air, which contains high amount of liquid water or ice, is cooler than the surrounding air.'
'Mammatus Outbreak', Boris Jordan: 'This was by far the most spectacular mammatus display I've ever seen in my entire life. After a line of thunderstorms passed by and the sun disappeared behind the horizon, low-hanging mammatus clouds began to shine red and blue. At this moment I was just speechless, as the sky really looked like not from this planet. And as a nice bonus, distant lightning made the composition perfect. Mammatus mostly appear in association with strong thunderstorms, if the sinking air, which contains high amount of liquid water or ice, is cooler than the surrounding air.'
'Pinnacles of Light', Richard Fox: 'My wife and I visited the Isle of Harris and Lewis, [Scotland] on holiday for a week. One evening, after a day out on Lewis, we stopped off at the Mangersta sea stacks. It was pretty windy on the cliff tops, making long exposures quite challenging. All of a sudden a few rain showers passed over as the late evening light broke though, providing an amazing set of rainbows.'
'Pinnacles of Light', Richard Fox: 'My wife and I visited the Isle of Harris and Lewis, [Scotland] on holiday for a week. One evening, after a day out on Lewis, we stopped off at the Mangersta sea stacks. It was pretty windy on the cliff tops, making long exposures quite challenging. All of a sudden a few rain showers passed over as the late evening light broke though, providing an amazing set of rainbows.'
'Predawn Thunderstorm over El Paso, Texas', Grace Bailey: 'Very early on the morning of November 6, I woke up and felt an urge to check my radar app on my phone. I discovered a discrete thunderstorm cell was moving north from Mexico towards the US border near downtown El Paso. I hurriedly gathered my camera gear and drove to an overlook that gave me a perfect vista of the storm and of the downtown El Paso skyline. It's always been a "dream shot" of mine to capture lightning over this desert city landscape. Thankfully the storm held together as it made its trek north across the border between Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and El Paso, Texas. My dream shot came true as I captured this and several bolts before leaving shortly after this image was taken due to the lightning getting too close for comfort!'
'Predawn Thunderstorm over El Paso, Texas', Grace Bailey: 'Very early on the morning of November 6, I woke up and felt an urge to check my radar app on my phone. I discovered a discrete thunderstorm cell was moving north from Mexico towards the US border near downtown El Paso. I hurriedly gathered my camera gear and drove to an overlook that gave me a perfect vista of the storm and of the downtown El Paso skyline. It's always been a "dream shot" of mine to capture lightning over this desert city landscape. Thankfully the storm held together as it made its trek north across the border between Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and El Paso, Texas. My dream shot came true as I captured this and several bolts before leaving shortly after this image was taken due to the lightning getting too close for comfort!'
'Steel Star', Yuriy Stolypin: 'For a very long time I have been hatching the idea of this photo. I wanted to take a photo of the tallest skyscraper in Europe, shrouded in morning fog. But for this shot I had to wait a long time for all the weather conditions to coincide. I regularly monitored the weather and looked into the city cameras to make sure that all shooting conditions were favourable for the intended shot, since I live very far from the shooting location. When everything coincided, early in the morning I called a taxi, arrived at the skyscraper, raised the drone as high as possible and took this picture.'
'Steel Star', Yuriy Stolypin: 'For a very long time I have been hatching the idea of this photo. I wanted to take a photo of the tallest skyscraper in Europe, shrouded in morning fog. But for this shot I had to wait a long time for all the weather conditions to coincide. I regularly monitored the weather and looked into the city cameras to make sure that all shooting conditions were favourable for the intended shot, since I live very far from the shooting location. When everything coincided, early in the morning I called a taxi, arrived at the skyscraper, raised the drone as high as possible and took this picture.'
'Just Walking in the Rain', Adrian Campfield: 'My wife and I were standing on the platform waiting for the train at Waterloo Station in London, England. We had been walking around London for the day taking photos and were on the way home. Without any warning the heavens opened and the storm broke thunder and lightning everywhere. We both ran for cover under the platform shelter as did all the other waiting passengers. I saw this lone woman walking towards me with the umbrella up and I had enough time to get the camera ready. I zoomed in a little, set the speed at 1000/iso to freeze the falling raindrops and this was the result.'
'Just Walking in the Rain', Adrian Campfield: 'My wife and I were standing on the platform waiting for the train at Waterloo Station in London, England. We had been walking around London for the day taking photos and were on the way home. Without any warning the heavens opened and the storm broke thunder and lightning everywhere. We both ran for cover under the platform shelter as did all the other waiting passengers. I saw this lone woman walking towards me with the umbrella up and I had enough time to get the camera ready. I zoomed in a little, set the speed at 1000/iso to freeze the falling raindrops and this was the result.'
'Cell with Rainbow', Sime Baresic: 'That afternoon I was asleep and suddenly woke up from my sleep and looked at my watch and I saw it was time to see off the sunset! When I was already halfway to the destination where I intended to photograph the sunset, I saw that something was safely being prepared and hurried to another destination! When I arrived I felt like a little kid, happy and fulfilled! An indescribable feeling to stand and watch and follow what nature means.'
'Cell with Rainbow', Sime Baresic: 'That afternoon I was asleep and suddenly woke up from my sleep and looked at my watch and I saw it was time to see off the sunset! When I was already halfway to the destination where I intended to photograph the sunset, I saw that something was safely being prepared and hurried to another destination! When I arrived I felt like a little kid, happy and fulfilled! An indescribable feeling to stand and watch and follow what nature means.'
'Winter sunset', Ivica Brlic: 'The weather conditions of that day were changeable: it was sunny, cloudy, windy, stormy … The photo shows a part of these weather conditions.'
'Winter sunset', Ivica Brlic: 'The weather conditions of that day were changeable: it was sunny, cloudy, windy, stormy … The photo shows a part of these weather conditions.'

Art

'It sends a shiver down my spine': the chilling image to win Weather Photographer of the Year 2020

Slovakian photographer Rudolf Sulgan won the title for his image of Brooklyn Bridge during a snow storm

Farah Andrews
Farah Andrews
Dubai

October 17, 2020

  • English
  • Arabic

Rudolf Sulgan has been named winner of the Royal Meteorological Society's Weather Photographer of the Year 2020 for his image Blizzard, showing Brooklyn Bridge in New York during a snow storm.

The striking image was crowned winner today after a panel of judges chose it from a shortlist of 26 photographs, which were selected from more than 7,700 entered into the competition.

The shortlist was announced in August. Click through the gallery above to see all 26 shortlisted photographs. 

“I made this image in 2018, during a strong blizzard as El Nino’s periodic warming of water often disrupts normal weather patterns. My main concern and inspiration are that my images hopefully do a small part in combating climate change,” Slovakian photographer Sulgan said of his winning image.

Rudolf Sulgan has been named The Royal Meteorological Society's Weather Photographer of the Year 2020 for his image, 'Blizzard'. Rudolf Sulgan
Rudolf Sulgan has been named The Royal Meteorological Society's Weather Photographer of the Year 2020 for his image, 'Blizzard'. Rudolf Sulgan

Liz Bentley, chief executive of the Royal Meteorological Society and panel judge, said: “The weather affects all of our lives and this picture captures that perfectly. Brooklyn Bridge provides an iconic backdrop, but it is the combined effect of snow, wind and freezing temperatures on the people trying to cross the bridge that tells the whole story – it sends a shiver down my spine.”

This was echoed by judge Jesse Ferrell, AccuWeather expert meteorologist: "The best photos make me feel like I was there when they took it, as if I were having their experience. Blizzard does this for me. I feel the full impact – the chill of the winter air, the snowflakes hitting my face, and the people enjoying the snow, with older folks remembering previous snows and children just forming memories that will last for years. The framing is impeccable and pleasing. It captures that moment when snow is falling so hard that it adds a ghostly, otherworldly essence to your surroundings."

'Tea Hills' by Vu Trung Huan as named first runner up in the The Royal Meteorological Society's Weather Photographer of the Year competition. Vu Trung Huan
'Tea Hills' by Vu Trung Huan as named first runner up in the The Royal Meteorological Society's Weather Photographer of the Year competition. Vu Trung Huan

The runners up were Vu Trung Huan for Tea Hills and Maja Kraljik for Monster.

Tea Hills depicts a mist over the Long Coc tea hill in Vietnam's Phu Tho Province. While Monster is depicts an enormous shelf cloud over water, of which Kraljik recalls: "I was waiting for two hours for the cloud to arrive and then it made a real mess."

'Monster' by Maja Kraljik.
'Monster' by Maja Kraljik.

Baikal Treasure by Alexey Trofimov, a photograph of jewel-like ice under snow on Lake Baikal in Russia was named the public's favourite. As well as the judges selecting an overall winner, a public vote was held and received 11,275 votes.

'Baikal Treasure' by Alexey Trofimov won the public vote.
'Baikal Treasure' by Alexey Trofimov won the public vote.

Of Baikal Treasure, Trofimov said: "I took this photo during an expedition on the ice of Lake Baikal. On the first day we arrived at Cape Kotelnikovsky, where I was attracted by ice hummocks and a snow cover. It was noon, not really my photo time. But the light that the sun gave, refracting in blocks of ice, caught my attention and made me take this picture."

Young Weather Photographer of the Year

The title of Young Weather Photographer of the Year was won by 17-year-old Kolesnik Stephanie Sergeevna, from Russia, for her image Frozen Life. The category was open to photographers aged 17 and under.

Of her image, Kolesnik said: “The photo is of a leaf stuck in the ice. I wanted to take this shot because it is a part of sunny summer frozen in ice. Time seems to have stopped for this leaf.”

The Young Weather Photographer of the Year 2020 (17 and under category) was awarded to 17-year-old Kolesnik Stephanie Sergeevna, from Russia, with her image 'Frozen Life'.Kolesnik Stephanie Sergeevna
The Young Weather Photographer of the Year 2020 (17 and under category) was awarded to 17-year-old Kolesnik Stephanie Sergeevna, from Russia, with her image 'Frozen Life'.Kolesnik Stephanie Sergeevna

Bentley added of the image: "Frozen Life freezes time, both figuratively and literally. Captured forever is this moment in time when the leaf slowly froze into the water, but more importantly, as the photographer says, it's a strange juxtaposition of seasons, summer taken over by winter, and I think the progression of the seasons is always fascinating."

The runner-up for Young Weather Photographer of the Year is Emma Rose Karsten, for her image, Surf's Up.

Runner up in the Young Weather Photographer category was Emma Rose Karsten for 'Surf’s Up'. Emma Rose Karsten
Runner up in the Young Weather Photographer category was Emma Rose Karsten for 'Surf’s Up'. Emma Rose Karsten
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Laal Kaptaan'

Director: Navdeep Singh

Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Manav Vij, Deepak Dobriyal, Zoya Hussain

Rating: 2/5

Killing of Qassem Suleimani
War and the virus
Rebel%20Moon%20%E2%80%93%20Part%20Two%3A%20The%20Scargiver%20review%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Zack%20Snyder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sofia%20Boutella%2C%20Charlie%20Hunnam%2C%20Ed%20Skrein%2C%20Sir%20Anthony%20Hopkins%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
TOURNAMENT INFO

Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier

Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November

UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi

The Bio

Name: Lynn Davison

Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi

Children: She has one son, Casey, 28

Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK

Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite Author: CJ Sansom

Favourite holiday destination: Bali

Favourite food: A Sunday roast

Tips on buying property during a pandemic

Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.

While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.

While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar. 

Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.

Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.

Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities. 

Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong. 

Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

While you're here
The specs: 2018 Maxus T60

Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000

Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder

Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm

Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm

Transmission: Five-speed manual

Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km

IF YOU GO

The flights

FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.

The tours

English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people. 

The hotels

Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.

St Naum Monastery, on the lake 30km south of Ohrid town, has updated its pilgrims' quarters into a modern 3-star hotel, with rooms overlooking the monastery courtyard and lake. Double room from $60 (Dh 220) a night.

 

The rules on fostering in the UAE

A foster couple or family must:

  • be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
  • not be younger than 25 years old
  • not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
  • be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
  • have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
  • undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
  • A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)

On Women's Day
The biog

Favourite hobby: I love to sing but I don’t get to sing as much nowadays sadly.

Favourite book: Anything by Sidney Sheldon.

Favourite movie: The Exorcist 2. It is a big thing in our family to sit around together and watch horror movies, I love watching them.

Favourite holiday destination: The favourite place I have been to is Florence, it is a beautiful city. My dream though has always been to visit Cyprus, I really want to go there.

While you're here
Whiile you're here
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

While you're here
Godzilla%20x%20Kong%3A%20The%20New%20Empire
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAdam%20Wingard%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBrian%20Tyree%20Henry%2C%20Rebecca%20Hall%2C%20Dan%20Stevens%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The bio

Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district

Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school

Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family

His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people

Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned

Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates

The Breadwinner

Director: Nora Twomey

Starring: Saara Chaudry,  Soma Chhaya,  Laara Sadiq 

Three stars

You might also like
INDIA SQUADS

India squad for third Test against Sri Lanka
Virat Kohli (capt), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Vijay Shankar

India squad for ODI series against Sri Lanka
Rohit Sharma (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul

You might also like
More on Quran memorisation:
On Women's Day
MATCH INFO

Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)

Third-place play-off: New Zealand v Wales, Friday, 1pm

WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

Art

Most popular today

1

UAE companies offer signing bonus, golden visas and wellness packages to attract and retain top talent

2

How to holiday in Saudi Arabia like Cristiano Ronaldo and wife-to-be Georgina Rodriguez

3

Rio Ferdinand on decision to move to Dubai, Man United's prospects and the pros and cons of social media

4

Cartoon for August 21, 2025

5

Real Madrid salaries 2025/26: Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham among top earners

6

Daring diamond heists in Dubai: From swallowing gems to ramming jewellery stores

7

French President Emmanuel Macron calls Israel's Gaza offensive a 'disaster'

8

UAE school calendar 2025: What new term dates mean for public holidays

9

Ancient Christian cross found on Abu Dhabi island as archaeologists dig into mysteries of the past

10

UAE school pupils look to the future with strong GCSE results