World Meteorological Organization (WMO) 2021 Calendar Competition

COVID-19 pandemic is causing unprecedented upheaval and changing our lives forever. But it also provides an opportunity to reflect on how we can do more to protect the environment and the planet and to grow back better after the economic downturn.

Many people have commented that they were more aware and appreciative of the beauty of our natural surroundings during the lockdown.

We are therefore really looking forward to high-quality and artistic photographs, and especially those which illustrate the theme of World Meteorological Day 2021, “The Ocean, our climate and weather.”

The Ocean covers 70% of the Earth’s surface and provides resources on which we depend. It is a major driver of the world’s weather and climate and stores more than 90% of excess heat generated by human activities.

It provides endless fascination and inspiration for photographs which demonstrate its amazing beauty and power and fragility. So we hope you will send us lots of images of the Ocean itself, as well as its effect on our climate and weather and water cycle. The opportunities are endless.

As a U.N. agency, we are keen to encourage a good geographical balance which represents all regions.

Winning entries will feature in the WMO 2021 online calendar. They will be showcased on the WMO website and social media platforms and feature prominently in our World Meteorological Day 2021 celebrations. We will also promote them among other U.N. agencies and showcase them during the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development to be held from 2021-2030

As always, there will be lots of recognition but no financial reward!

Since it was launched in 2014, the WMO calendar competition has gained in stature and recognition. The United Nations regularly features our photos. Some National Meteorological and Hydrological Services also run their own photo contests and feed these entries to WMO.

You may also check:

Submission Deadline:

All photos must be a minimum size of 4000×3000 pixels.
All photos must be submitted in JPEG or TIFF format (with little compression to preserve image quality.
All photos must be in landscape (horizontal) format.
Black and white photographs as well as coloured photographs will be accepted.
All photos must be clearly captioned, including a title, a location and the date of the photograph.

How to Enter

Take a striking photo which is related to the Ocean, the weather and climate and meets our submission guidelines. Photographers may submit multiple entries, but only one photo can be included in the final calendar. If you share your photos on your own social media profiles, use the #WMOphoto hashtag.
Fill out the mandatory online ENTRY FORM and attach your photo and submit via a dedicated page on the WMO website. This is obligatory. Don’t forget a short explanatory caption and location for your image! Please provide your social media handles