A breathtaking photograph of a complete circular rainbow has earned the grand prize at the Royal Meteorological Society's Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year Competition for 2025. Engineers and astronomy photographers Geshuang Chen and Shuchang Dong captured the extraordinary image using a drone above Lugu Lake in China's Yunnan Province, marking the 10th anniversary of this prestigious contest.
The winning photograph, titled "The Glorious Ring," showcases a rare meteorological phenomenon that is seldom visible from ground level. Chen flew his drone to an altitude of 500 meters through a rain curtain, positioning the lens away from the sun to capture the complete circular rainbow. "It was drizzling on Lugu Lake. I flew my drone to a height of 500 meters, passed through the rain curtain, with my lens facing away from the sun, and captured a complete circular rainbow, which was a ring given by the sun to the lake," Chen explained.
While rainbows are commonly observed, full-circle rainbows represent a much rarer sight. From ground level, the lower portion of the circular rainbow typically remains hidden below the horizon. However, when viewed from high above with the sun positioned behind the observer and rainfall ahead, the entire circle becomes visible. This unique vantage point, made possible only through drone technology, allowed the photographers to capture the complete phenomenon.
The science behind rainbow formation involves sunlight entering raindrops and being refracted, then reflected off the inside of each droplet before being bent again as it exits. This process creates a spectrum of colors forming a circle around the antisolar point, which is the spot directly opposite the sun from the viewer's perspective. Since each observer's position creates a slightly different angle of light, every rainbow remains unique to the individual seeing it. This makes Chen and Dong's image particularly remarkable, not only as a rare view of a complete rainbow but also as a moment of perfect alignment, with a small island framed precisely at the center of the circular phenomenon.
The competition attracted over 4,000 submissions from amateur and professional photographers worldwide, making the victory especially significant. In addition to the overall winner, several category awards were presented, including the Climate Award, which went to photographer Jonah Lange for his powerful image of a dust-filled tornado on the Texas plains. This dramatic photograph captures a spiraling column of dust and wind dominating the landscape near Sudan, Texas, taken on April 25, 2025.
Another standout winner was Lukáš Gallo's "Sky Surfing," which claimed the public's favorite photo vote. His image of rare Kelvin-Helmholtz wave clouds, which resemble breaking ocean waves in the sky, captured both judges' and voters' imagination. These unusual formations occur when there's a sharp difference in wind speed or direction between two layers of air, creating spectacular cloud curls that provide visual warning of atmospheric turbulence.
The Young Weather Photographer category was won by Alex Cruz for "Eruption in the Sky," a stunning image of a cumulonimbus cloud captured from a passenger plane flying between Washington, DC and Orlando, Florida. The photograph shows the enormous thunderstorm cloud glowing pink against a deepening blue sky, with the color caused by Rayleigh scattering as sunlight travels through more atmosphere during sunset hours.
In the Mobile Category, Kyaw Zay Yar Lin's "Fishing in Raining Season" took top honors, depicting two fishermen working urgently during a sudden downpour on Myanmar's Inle Lake. The image captures both the immediate drama of the storm and the broader environmental challenges facing the region, including deforestation-caused soil erosion and climate change impacts on water levels.
Other notable winners included Jadwiga Piasecka's "Eunice II," which earned runner-up in the main category for its dramatic portrayal of Storm Eunice battering the UK coast with 80-mile-per-hour winds. Jaroslav Fous secured third place with "Diamond Dust Sky Eye," showcasing multiple rare optical phenomena including moon halos, light pillars, and various atmospheric arcs created by ice crystals in the Czech Republic's Ore Mountains.
The competition's success in its 10th year demonstrates the growing interest in weather photography and the increasing accessibility of advanced photographic techniques. Judge and meteorologist Phillipa Drew noted the contest's ability to highlight extreme weather events, stating, "Everything is becoming more extreme. This is a good example of an extreme case. It highlights the vastness of weather. We don't stand much of a chance against that." The winning images not only showcase natural beauty but also serve as powerful documentation of our changing climate and the spectacular forces of nature that continue to shape our world.
