Professional photographer Sam Ryley from Chester has won the Climate Change category of the Green Expo Professional Photographer of the Year for 2026.
His photo was taken in Saltney, Chester during the May heatwave of 2026 which broke all time British records for high temperatures in May.
He said; “As our climate changes, intense heatwaves create the conditions for powerful storms. I’d slept with curtains and windows thrown open to get cooler and awoke to thunder that shook the house. Dazed and with no time to find a better location I grabbed a camera and tripod to photograph the storm from my window getting this bolt of lightning across the rooftops of the houses. I heard the sound of fire engines and my friend later reported a house had been hit and the roof set ablaze less than a mile away. With climate changes we can expect many more extreme weather events.”
Judges’ commented; “I love the immediacy and excitement of the photographer here and the contrast of the quiet of the houses at night set against the rage of the skies above. A dramatic and memorable image with a strong personal story connected to extreme weather events. The image has excellent timing and technical execution, a tremendous picture, perfectly captured.”