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Nature Au Natural: Highlights of Weather Photographer of the Year 2016 Contest

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The Royal Meteorological Society and The Royal Photographic Society have announced the winners of the Weather Photographer of the Year 2016 competition. The contestants worked hard to capture stunning images of various weather phenomena, which you can now peruse in this gallery.

© Photo : Tim Moxon/Weather Photographer of the YearTornado on Show by Tim Moxon (the winner of the contest).

"A classic severe weather setup in the high plains of Colorado near the town of Wray yielded one of the most photogenic tornadoes of the year. We were just ahead of the storm as the tornado started and tracked with it as it grew from a fine funnel to a sizeable cone tornado. At this moment the twister was at its most photogenic while it's parent supercell continued to be manageable. We were among a number of people, including those you see in the shot, nervously enjoying the epic display nature put on for us."
Tornado on Show by Tim Moxon - Sputnik International
1/16
Tornado on Show by Tim Moxon (the winner of the contest).

"A classic severe weather setup in the high plains of Colorado near the town of Wray yielded one of the most photogenic tornadoes of the year. We were just ahead of the storm as the tornado started and tracked with it as it grew from a fine funnel to a sizeable cone tornado. At this moment the twister was at its most photogenic while it's parent supercell continued to be manageable. We were among a number of people, including those you see in the shot, nervously enjoying the epic display nature put on for us."
© Photo : Andrew Bailey/Weather Photographer of the YearFreezing Fog and Hoar Frost by Andrew Bailey (3rd place in the 'Over 16s' category).

"The image was taken during February Half term (16 February 2016), during a cold spell of weather. Based on the forecast from the night before, my son James and I left home at 4:30am to travel up to north Suffolk to Herringfleet Mill, a location we had not visited before. When we arrived at the mill, the temperature was –4C with freezing fog making for very atmospheric conditions. There were pictures everywhere, but I particularly like the way this photo captures the sun burning through the mist, with the reed beds covered in white hoar frost and the mill shrouded in mist."
Freezing Fog and Hoar Frost by Andrew Bailey (3 место) - Sputnik International
2/16
Freezing Fog and Hoar Frost by Andrew Bailey (3rd place in the 'Over 16s' category).

"The image was taken during February Half term (16 February 2016), during a cold spell of weather. Based on the forecast from the night before, my son James and I left home at 4:30am to travel up to north Suffolk to Herringfleet Mill, a location we had not visited before. When we arrived at the mill, the temperature was –4C with freezing fog making for very atmospheric conditions. There were pictures everywhere, but I particularly like the way this photo captures the sun burning through the mist, with the reed beds covered in white hoar frost and the mill shrouded in mist."
© Photo : Camelia Czuchnicki/Weather Photographer of the YearClash of the Storms by Camelia Czuchnicki (2nd place in the 'Over 16s' category).

"A clash between two storm cells in New Mexico, US in June 2014, each with it's own rotating updraft. It appeared as though one updraft was anticyclonic, resulting in a very turbulent scene. The curved striations of the oldest noticeable against the new bubbling convection of the newer. It was a fantastic sight to watch and it's the rarity of such scenes that keep drawing me back to the US Plains each year."
Clash of the Storms by Camelia Czuchnicki (2 место) - Sputnik International
3/16
Clash of the Storms by Camelia Czuchnicki (2nd place in the 'Over 16s' category).

"A clash between two storm cells in New Mexico, US in June 2014, each with it's own rotating updraft. It appeared as though one updraft was anticyclonic, resulting in a very turbulent scene. The curved striations of the oldest noticeable against the new bubbling convection of the newer. It was a fantastic sight to watch and it's the rarity of such scenes that keep drawing me back to the US Plains each year."
© Photo : Ben Cherry/Weather Photographer of the YearSprite Lightning by Ben Cherry (1st place in the 'Over 16s' category).

"The image was taken in Punta Banco, a small village on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. I was based out there for six months last year as a scarlet macaw researcher for the Wild Macaw Association. It shows a very rare type of lightning called a Sprite. The storm was far out at sea during a new moon, so there was very little light and as a result the stars were spectacular!"
Sprite Lightning by Ben Cherry (1 место) - Sputnik International
4/16
Sprite Lightning by Ben Cherry (1st place in the 'Over 16s' category).

"The image was taken in Punta Banco, a small village on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. I was based out there for six months last year as a scarlet macaw researcher for the Wild Macaw Association. It shows a very rare type of lightning called a Sprite. The storm was far out at sea during a new moon, so there was very little light and as a result the stars were spectacular!"
© Photo : Paul Kingston/Weather Photographer of the Year - 2016Storms Cumbria by Paul Kingston (public vote winner).

"The image I captured shows the inner harbour wall at Whitehaven, Cumbria being hit by a monstrous wave, dwarfing the surrounding man-made structures. This occurred on the day I travelled from County Durham to the west coast of Cumbria to photograph a winter storm as the UK was currently being hit by a series of Atlantic storms sending tidal surges and strong gales force westerly winds, which made for ideal conditions for large swells at Whitehaven."
Storms Cumbria by  Paul Kingston - Sputnik International
5/16
Storms Cumbria by Paul Kingston (public vote winner).

"The image I captured shows the inner harbour wall at Whitehaven, Cumbria being hit by a monstrous wave, dwarfing the surrounding man-made structures. This occurred on the day I travelled from County Durham to the west coast of Cumbria to photograph a winter storm as the UK was currently being hit by a series of Atlantic storms sending tidal surges and strong gales force westerly winds, which made for ideal conditions for large swells at Whitehaven."
© Photo : James Bailey/Weather Photographer of the YearHailstorm and Rainbow Over the Seas of Covehithe by James Bailey (1st place in the 'Under 16s' category).

"The family and I went for a walk at Covehithe, Suffolk, in an attempt to capture such a photo, as we'd seen the forecast was stormy and had thought Covehithe as being a suitable location to shoot in in such conditions. There were similarly good photos everywhere I looked, but this one really stood out: the rainbow, the hail lines, the storm front, and nice light on the clouds."
Hailstorm and Rainbow Over the Seas of Covehithe by James Bailey (1 место) - Sputnik International
6/16
Hailstorm and Rainbow Over the Seas of Covehithe by James Bailey (1st place in the 'Under 16s' category).

"The family and I went for a walk at Covehithe, Suffolk, in an attempt to capture such a photo, as we'd seen the forecast was stormy and had thought Covehithe as being a suitable location to shoot in in such conditions. There were similarly good photos everywhere I looked, but this one really stood out: the rainbow, the hail lines, the storm front, and nice light on the clouds."
© Photo : Alan Tough/Weather Photographer of the Year - 2016Polar Stratospheric Clouds by Alan Tough

"At the beginning of February 2016 I was down in Alloa on a course, so I only had an old compact camera with me. I still managed to capture this spectacular display of Nacreous Clouds on the morning of the 2nd."
Polar Stratospheric Clouds by Alan Tough - Sputnik International
7/16
Polar Stratospheric Clouds by Alan Tough

"At the beginning of February 2016 I was down in Alloa on a course, so I only had an old compact camera with me. I still managed to capture this spectacular display of Nacreous Clouds on the morning of the 2nd."
© Photo : Allan Macdougall /Weather Photographer of the Year - 2016Ice Sculpture on Plynlimon by Allan Macdougall

"Plynlimon (752 metres (2,467 ft) is a beautiful hill massif in Northern Ceredigion, Mid Wales, North of the A44 between Llangurig and Aberystwyth. I walk this hill regularly in all seasons, and winter is my favourite time of year here. The otherwise benign summit plateau can be transformed into raw arctic tundra-like conditions, which presents challenges even for well-equipped walkers. Days of blown snow and spindrift from powerful and freezing North Easterly winds had accumulated on every windward vertical surface into bizarrely shaped natural sculptures. This stile and wire fence became a thing of beauty, with the glowing translucent fluting of the ice emphasised by the sun's backlighting."
Ice Sculpture on Plynlimon by Allan Macdougall - Sputnik International
8/16
Ice Sculpture on Plynlimon by Allan Macdougall

"Plynlimon (752 metres (2,467 ft) is a beautiful hill massif in Northern Ceredigion, Mid Wales, North of the A44 between Llangurig and Aberystwyth. I walk this hill regularly in all seasons, and winter is my favourite time of year here. The otherwise benign summit plateau can be transformed into raw arctic tundra-like conditions, which presents challenges even for well-equipped walkers. Days of blown snow and spindrift from powerful and freezing North Easterly winds had accumulated on every windward vertical surface into bizarrely shaped natural sculptures. This stile and wire fence became a thing of beauty, with the glowing translucent fluting of the ice emphasised by the sun's backlighting."
© Photo : Camelia Czuchnicki / Weather Photographer of the Year - 2016The Barber's Pole by Camelia Czuchnicki

"This low precipitation supercell formed late in the day over Broken Bow in south east Nebraska in May 2013. The rotation was evident through the striations and twisting updraft referred to as a barber's pole. The storm was particularly striking at this stage due to the eruption of mammatus from the anvil that was constantly being lit up with lightning. A stunning spectacle which we photographed for over an hour from the same spot due the slow moving nature of the storm."
The Barber's Pole by Camelia Czuchnicki - Sputnik International
9/16
The Barber's Pole by Camelia Czuchnicki

"This low precipitation supercell formed late in the day over Broken Bow in south east Nebraska in May 2013. The rotation was evident through the striations and twisting updraft referred to as a barber's pole. The storm was particularly striking at this stage due to the eruption of mammatus from the anvil that was constantly being lit up with lightning. A stunning spectacle which we photographed for over an hour from the same spot due the slow moving nature of the storm."
© Photo : Dmitry Demin / Weather Photographer of the Year - 2016UFO Over the Caucasus by Dmitry Demin

"The photo was taken from the cable car to Mount Cheget (Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia. The high mountains and a huge lenticular cloud could not leave me indifferent, and, of course, I wanted to photography this beauty."
UFO Over the Caucasus by Dmitry Demin - Sputnik International
10/16
UFO Over the Caucasus by Dmitry Demin

"The photo was taken from the cable car to Mount Cheget (Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia. The high mountains and a huge lenticular cloud could not leave me indifferent, and, of course, I wanted to photography this beauty."
© Photo : Kevin Pearson / Weather Photographer of the Year - 2016Misty River Dawn by Kevin Pearson

"My image was taken in late April 2016 along the bank of the River Brue in Glastonbury, Somerset. The flat, open, exposed landscape of the Somerset levels is punctuated by drainage channels and waterways which gives it a unique character. Cool evenings when followed by clear mornings tend to give rise to a blanket of mist rising off the water and grassland, creating an ethereal feel to the landscape especially at sunrise before the mist burns away. It was frosty overnight on this occasion and you can see the frost still clinging to the grassy riverbank. I often use Glastonbury Tor as a backdrop in my images and I was hoping to get a nice reflection in the water at sunrise but the rising mist and the ground frost were a bonus.
Misty River Dawn by Kevin Pearson - Sputnik International
11/16
Misty River Dawn by Kevin Pearson

"My image was taken in late April 2016 along the bank of the River Brue in Glastonbury, Somerset. The flat, open, exposed landscape of the Somerset levels is punctuated by drainage channels and waterways which gives it a unique character. Cool evenings when followed by clear mornings tend to give rise to a blanket of mist rising off the water and grassland, creating an ethereal feel to the landscape especially at sunrise before the mist burns away. It was frosty overnight on this occasion and you can see the frost still clinging to the grassy riverbank. I often use Glastonbury Tor as a backdrop in my images and I was hoping to get a nice reflection in the water at sunrise but the rising mist and the ground frost were a bonus.
© Photo : Mark Boardman / Weather Photographer of the Year - 2016Hail Shower Over Jodrell Bank by Mark Boardman

"This picture was taken on the 27 April 2016 from the edge of Macclesfield Forest looking west across Macclesfield towards the radio telescope at Jodrell Bank and beyond. The weather was cold and a northwesterly wind blew this shower of hail to engulf the telescope. I took many shots but this one, after Jodrell Bank had reappeared, was my favourite with the setting sun giving a warm glow to the end of a cold day."
Hail Shower Over Jodrell Bank by Mark Boardman - Sputnik International
12/16
Hail Shower Over Jodrell Bank by Mark Boardman

"This picture was taken on the 27 April 2016 from the edge of Macclesfield Forest looking west across Macclesfield towards the radio telescope at Jodrell Bank and beyond. The weather was cold and a northwesterly wind blew this shower of hail to engulf the telescope. I took many shots but this one, after Jodrell Bank had reappeared, was my favourite with the setting sun giving a warm glow to the end of a cold day."
© Photo : Mat Robinson/Weather Photographer of the Year - 2016Mamazing by Mat Robinson

"This image was taken on a journey back to York after a miserable weekend in the midlands. Having followed this storm and been temporarily underneath it over the 80 miles up the A1 we finally found ourselves following it, with the setting sun illuminating the mammatus clouds on its back edge. This was taken at the first lay-by we found on between Tadcaster and York, away from the A64, with the sweep of the road acting as a perfect guide for the eye towards the centre of the storm. How could you not grab the camera from the boot and photograph this scene?"
Mamazing by Mat Robinson - Sputnik International
13/16
Mamazing by Mat Robinson

"This image was taken on a journey back to York after a miserable weekend in the midlands. Having followed this storm and been temporarily underneath it over the 80 miles up the A1 we finally found ourselves following it, with the setting sun illuminating the mammatus clouds on its back edge. This was taken at the first lay-by we found on between Tadcaster and York, away from the A64, with the sweep of the road acting as a perfect guide for the eye towards the centre of the storm. How could you not grab the camera from the boot and photograph this scene?"
© Photo : Paula Davies/Weather Photographer of the Year - 2016Jack Frost by Paula Davies

"At last some frost. It has been a crisp and clear day with sunshine and no wind. So much better than all that warm, damp weather we have been having. I found these lovely patterns on a car windscreen when I went out this morning."
Jack Frost by Paula Davies - Sputnik International
14/16
Jack Frost by Paula Davies

"At last some frost. It has been a crisp and clear day with sunshine and no wind. So much better than all that warm, damp weather we have been having. I found these lovely patterns on a car windscreen when I went out this morning."
© Photo : Stephen Burt/Weather Photographer of the Year - 2016Matterhorn Banner Cloud by Stephen Burt

"Orographic cloud winds around and over the Matterhorn in Switzerland. Photographed from the Gornergrat glacier at 1508 UTC on 26 May 2014."
Matterhorn Banner Cloud by Stephen Burt - Sputnik International
15/16
Matterhorn Banner Cloud by Stephen Burt

"Orographic cloud winds around and over the Matterhorn in Switzerland. Photographed from the Gornergrat glacier at 1508 UTC on 26 May 2014."
© Photo : Steven Smith/Weather Photographer of the Year - 2016Cloud Tunnel by Steven Smith

"Mid May. Barometric pressure was high, clear weather was forecast. On the hills we were shrouded until late morning when a clear way emerged along the ridge towards Foel Fras in the Carneddau."
Cloud Tunnel by Steven Smith - Sputnik International
16/16
Cloud Tunnel by Steven Smith

"Mid May. Barometric pressure was high, clear weather was forecast. On the hills we were shrouded until late morning when a clear way emerged along the ridge towards Foel Fras in the Carneddau."
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