We all know the British are fond of talking about the weather – and with good reason! Over the past 12 months the South West of England has experienced everything from drought to severe flooding as well as snow and ice.

Extreme weather events are expected to occur more frequently as our climate changes. To help illustrate how this will impact on our region, Climate SouthWest would like to showcase your photos of extreme weather.

This is a great opportunity for you to demonstrate your photographic skills and win one of six prizes on offer. Entries should demonstrate the effects our changing climate is having on your local area in the South West of England – both for better and for worse!

There are four categories – Hot, Wet, Cold and Dry. As well as a prize for an overall winner, there are also prizes for the best photo in each category and for the best photo taken by an Under-16. The top prize is a year’s family pass for the National Trust, the main sponsor of the competition.

Photos can be of anything – people, animals, landscape, cities – whatever you like! So long as it has a clear link to one of the weather-themed categories. The photo could show the effects of weather on the South West (positive or negative), or could show actions or activities people take to cope with the weather e.g. sunshades or umbrellas!

The only conditions are that the photo must have been taken in the South West of England by yourself, any time from 1960 to the present day.

Photos will be judged according to both their quality and relevance to category theme with the winners announced during Climate Week March 21 – 27, 2011.