Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year competition 2025 launches today

The Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year competition 2025 launches today, aiming to showcase the world’s most striking weather and climate photography.

Now in its tenth year, the competition is run by the UK’s Royal Meteorological Society and serves as an international platform to raise awareness of environmental issues putting our planet at risk – including heatwaves, extreme flooding and cyclones – while showcasing the awe-inspiring beauty and power of our weather.

The competition is open for entries from 10 April to 19 June 2025 and is free to enter for amateur and professional photographers of all ages and abilities.

Following its successful debut in 2024, the Standard Chartered Climate Award has now been elevated to its own category within the competition. The award was created to underscore the connection between weather patterns and the broader impacts of climate change, illustrating how these global shifts impact businesses, people and communities. Photography, as a powerful visual medium, provides a unique platform to communicate these complex narratives, underscoring the importance of efforts to reduce emissions.

The competition is open to all ages and photographic abilities, attracting novices through to some of the best professional photographers. In addition to the main prize of £5,000, there are additional prizes of £2,500 for the mobile category, £750 for the under-18 category, and £1,000 for the Standard Chartered Climate Award.

Shortlisted entries from the main and smartphone categories will be announced in mid-September. The public will then have the chance to vote for their favourite, with the winners for all categories announced on 30 October 2025. 

Enter the competition.

Prof Liz Bentley FRMetS, Chief Executive of the Royal Meteorological Society, said:   

“As the Royal Meteorological Society celebrates its 175th year of leadership in weather and climate, the competition has become a vital platform for outreach and engagement. We are delighted to have the continued support of Standard Chartered in raising global awareness of climate change and its impact. Photography has the power to capture both the beauty and intensity of weather while telling important stories about our changing climate. Through this competition, we continue to inspire people worldwide to appreciate, understand, and engage with the science behind weather and its effects on our planet.”

Marisa Drew, Chief Sustainability Officer at Standard Chartered, said:

“Standard Chartered is proud to support the Weather Photographer of the Year competition for a third year. This is an opportunity to capture and showcase captivating images of extreme weather events, and the impact our changing climate has on the environment and across our markets. By visually highlighting these impacts, we hope the competition will continue to build awareness of the importance of embedding adaptation and resilience into financial decision-making, particularly in markets most exposed to the negative effects of extreme weather.”