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The photo of a lifesaver warning surfers to get out of the sea as a severe storm approaches Ormond Beach in Florida was taken by Jason Weingart. He regularly braves inclement conditions to take photos and video of violent storms all over North America.
Jason said: "There is nothing in the world quite like storm chasing. 99 per cent of the time is sheer boredom; looking at weather models and forecast products, driving to the target, sitting around and waiting for storms to fire. But that one per cent of the time, when you are standing next to a perfectly structured supercell or a severe thunderstorm pumping out billions of volts of electricity, makes it all worthwhile.
Lightning explodes from a supernal in Nebraska. Composite of 31 images shot over a 10-minute period.
"There are moments when we are getting slammed with large hail and extreme winds, when I think death is a very real possibility. We're all going to die sometime. I feel that we should make the most of our time here on Earth. It's truly awe inspiring to see what our world is capable of. The way that rivers of air and pools of moisture in the sky can come together to produce a giant engine in our atmosphere makes me feel like I am part of something bigger. Getting to experience the violence and beauty that mother nature is capable of is something I wouldn't trade for anything.
Shelf cloud pushes over the intercoastal waters of Oak Hill, Florida
Jason remains determined to take more pictures of storms and stare death in the face for as long as he can. "Storm chasing is something I will do as long as I am physically able. It has become a way of life for me."
Nocturnal shelf cloud
Anvil crawler lightning shoots over the Seabreeze Bridge in Florida
Jason Weingart and his fiancee Brittany Pilko in front of a shelf cloud in Daytona Beach, Florida
A boat under a thunderstorm on the Indian River
Lightning strikes over wetlands in Florida
Lightning strikes over Oklahoma
Lightning over Ormond, Florida