THIS stunning image shows an incredible weather phenomenon called cloud iridescence, which creates a rainbow-coloured cloud in the sky.
Georgy Akimov snapped ‘The Miracle’, shortlisted for last year’s Weather Photographer of the Year award, during the sailing competition ‘Giraglia Rolex Cup’, a Mediterranean keelboat regatta.
Georgy Akimov was shortlisted last year with ‘The Miracle’, a beautiful photograph showing a patch of rainbow above dozens of sailing boatsg-akimov.com
The unusual weather feature is caused by tiny ice crystals or water droplets that cause the light to be diffracted, creating a rainbow-like effect in the clouds.
Spectacular rainbows, terrifying lightning storms and arid deserts are all among the previous winners of the Royal Meteorological Society’s Weather Photographer of the Year award.
These images – revealed once again as the 2019 contest is launched – show a range of weather phenomena such as clouds, lightning, rain, fog or snow through to the impact of weather on humans, cities and the natural landscape.
The competition calls for stunning images, submitted by professionals or amateurs, showing weather and its impacts in dramatic settings.
Graham Newman’s ‘Oil Tanker Guanabura hit by Lightning’ was shortlisted for the 2016 competitionGraham NewmanCarlos Balsera’s ‘Reflection Bow’ shows a mountainous region topped with circular rainbowsCarlos BalseraDmitry Demin’s ‘UFO over the Caucasus’ was shortlisted for the 2016 competitionDmitry DeminKevin Juberg’s ‘Magic’ was shortlisted in last year’s competitionSierra BlancoStephen Cheatley’s ‘Electric Blackpool’ shows huge forks of lightning over the town’s Pleasure BeachStephen CheatleyAndrew Bailey’s ‘Freezing Fog and Hoar Frost’ nabbed third place in the awards in 2016Andrew BaileyMerveille Adomou picked up third place in the 17 and over category in 2017 with ‘Frozen Fall’Merveille AdomouCraig Boehm’s ‘Little House on the Praire’ was shortlisted for the award in 2017Craig BoehmThe aptly-named Daniel Winter was shortlisted in 2017 with ‘Rain in the desert’Daniel WinterThe runner-up position in 2016’s over 16 category went to Camelia Czuchnicki with ‘Clash of the Storms’Camelia CzuchnickiNikolay Schegolev picked up second place in the 17 and over category last year with ‘Two times one train station’Nikolay SchegolevSteve Oldfield’s misty ‘Crosthwaite Church’ photograph was shortlisted in 2017Steve OldfieldRajesh Dhar’s Journey through the fog, an action shot of a man pushing his bicycle through water, was shortlisted last yearRajesh DharPaul Kingston captured this enormous splashing wave, ‘Monster from the Deep’, and was shortlisted in 2017North News and Pictures
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