Winners of Weather Photographer of the year 2020 competition have been announced

Winners to the Royal Meteorological Society’s Weather Photographer of the Year competition, in association with AccuWeather have been announced.

Of a shortlist of 26 chosen from more than 7,000 images entered into the competition, Blizzard by Rudolf Sulgan emerged as the winner.

Blizzard, which shows a busy Brooklyn Bridge in New York, was taken in 2018 "during a strong blizzard as El Nino's periodic warming of water often disrupts normal weather patterns. My main concern and inspiration are that my images hopefully do a small part in combating climate change," Sulgan said in a statement.

According to Liz Bentley, Chief Executive of the Royal Meteorological Society (RMetS) and panel judge, Sulgan's image captures perfectly how weather effects all of our lives.

"Brooklyn Bridge provides an iconic backdrop, but it is the combined effect of snow, wind and freezing temperatures on the people trying to cross the bridge that tells the whole story – it sends a shiver down my spine," she said.

AccuWeather expert meteorologist, Social Media Manager, and competition judge Jesse Ferrell said, “The best photos make me feel like I was there when they took it, as if I were having their experience. 'Blizzard' does this for me. I feel the full impact – the chill of the winter air, the snowflakes hitting my face, and the people enjoying the snow, with older folks remembering previous snows and children just forming memories that will last for years. The framing is impeccable and pleasing. It captures that moment when snow is falling so hard that it adds a ghostly, otherworldly essence to your surroundings.”

Meanwhile, after the shortlisted images received an overwhelming response of 11,275 votes cast, the Public Favorite Photo went to Baikal Treasure by Alexey Trofimov from Siberia. 

17-year-old Kolesnik Stephanie Sergeevna, from Russia was named the Young Photographer of the year for her image, "Frozen Life."

Check out the winning images below:

— LA, GMA News