Weather: A Force of Nature

These are the most powerful and dramatic images from the Weather Photographer of the Year competition, an annual contest held by The Royal Meteorological Society. They depict dramatic weather phenomena from every corner of the globe and often reveal fascinating stories about what causes them and how they impact on the environment.

Each image has been specially selected by a panel of meteorologists, photographers and photo editors who look for a combination of skilful camera work and meteorological observation. The images are grouped under five different themes - the changing climate, extreme weather, the oceans, the poles and the impact of the climate on life - and there is an introductory essay for each theme written by experts from the Royal Meteorological Society with the overriding theme of the impact of climate change running throughout the text.

About the competition: The Royal Meteorological Society is the Professional and Learned Society for Weather and Climate. The Society serves anyone whose work is affected in some way by the weather or climate, or simply have a general interest in the weather. The membership includes scientists, practitioners and a broad range of weather enthusiasts with membership open to anyone with an interest in weather and climate.