Malaysian photographer’s breathtaking East Java volcanoes shot among top entries for top weather photo awards

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 — Malaysian Nur Syaireen Natasya Azaharin has been named one of the winners of this year’s Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year for her stunning shot of smoking volcanoes in East Java, Indonesia.

Hosted by the United Kingdom-based Royal Meteorological Society, the Selangor-based photographer took first place in the competition’s smartphone category with her photo of Mount Semeru and Mount Bromo in the early morning light.

According to the photo’s caption, titled “Volcanoes”, the shot — taken with a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 — captures a small pyrocumulus cloud atop Mount Semeru (central peak in the background), with smoke and steam rising from Mount Bromo (front left).

Nur Syaireen Natasya Azaharin's winning picture shows a small pyrocumulus cloud sitting atop Mount Semeru (central peak in the background) as small plumes of smoke and steam emit from the crater of Mount Bromo.

She said she had originally set out with the intention of capturing a sunrise.

For her first-place win, Nur Syaireen Natasya received a cash prize of £2,500 (RM14,190).

Now in its ninth year, the competition showcases the world’s most striking weather and climate photography and provides a global platform to raise awareness of the environmental issues endangering the planet.

The full list of 2024 shortlisted entries and winners is available here.