Malaga 'storm chaser' captures striking image to take Spain's national weather agency prize

Sinobas is the singular atmospheric observations notification system, a public science project to collect data on rare meteorological phenomena, and it is state weather agency Aemet's tool for all weather enthusiasts to report significant meteorological events. Thanks to this, it has been possible to report, for example, the occurrence of tornadoes, floods and atypical storms in isolated areas.

This initiative held its first national conference last weekend in Valladolid, where Nany Lavado from Malaga won first prize in the photography competition. Lavado, who works professionally in the world of photography, has been passionate about meteorology ever since she was a child and is a renowned 'storm chaser'. Her work on thunderstorms, lightning strikes, rainbows and the arrival of terral storms is widely applauded on social media.

As Lavado herself admits, her interest in this world intensified after coming across the blog of Malaga-based meteorologist and broadcaster José Luis Escudero, which allowed her to delve deeper into this discipline and connect with others who share her passion. "Since then, I've spent countless hours observing maps, tracking storms and patiently waiting for the perfect opportunity to immortalise the moment, even at the expense of family gatherings and plans with friends. My friends go to the theatre, I head out to photograph storms," she says with a smile.

The winning photo is entitled "Recuerdo" (remembrance), an image that she is "particularly fond of". It was taken on 8 May 2021, "during a thunderstorm that left behind some outstanding images". It was taken from Gibralfaro and shows the exact moment when lightning struck the Bay of Malaga, behind the port. It took up to four hours to capture, tracking the weather across the sky, with numerous long-exposure shots.

Although she has won other awards before, this one brings her "a special joy" as it represents Aemet's recognition of all the amateur weather fans who, like her, dedicate their time and passion to contemplating and understanding the skies. "It brings us amateurs closer to the professionals so we can continue working as a team, and thus have more data and provide more help. It's a joint effort at a social level, always done in recognition of the great professionals at Aemet."

In addition to this aspect of science being practised by the public ('citizen-led sience'), for Lavado, contemplating these phenomena is "a form of meditation, apart from the adrenaline rush that comes when you see some good downpours".

Nevertheless, she makes it clear that observing and documenting adverse phenomena does not mean that she is immune to the events they sometimes bring with them, especially the floods that followed the 'danas' (cold drop storms). "It's a topic that people sometimes confuse: I don't enjoy a weather-related disaster."

"Thanks to the many enthusiasts who have social media accounts, people find out when a place is flooded or a road is cut off. It's about doing social work, not gloating over someone's catastrophe."

Sinobas was devised by Aemet to collect and make available to the public information on the occurrence of certain weather phenomena that have been classified as singular, meaning they are characterised as such for being local, infrequent, of significant intensity and/or capable of causing a high social impact.

The main source of information is direct visual observation, referenced and/or documented by any member of the public, which is subsequently validated by Aemet, whenever possible. The acronym Sinobas is a tribute to Manuel Rico y Sinobas (1819-1898), a physicist and physician from Valladolid who was interested in the study of the atmosphere and its applications.