Merit: A Night at Deadvlei. The night before returning to Windhoek, we spent several hours at Deadveli. The moon was bright enough to illuminate the sand dunes in the distance, but the skies were still dark enough to clearly see the milky way and magellanic clouds. Deadveli means “dead marsh. The camelthorn trees are believed to be about 900 years old, but have not decomposed because the environment is so dry. (Photo and caption by Beth McCarley/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

People are caught in a dust storm in New Delhi, India May 23, 2016. (Photo by Anindito Mukherjee/Reuters)

A man takes a picture of sea spray as storms hit Cape Town, South Africa, June 7, 2017. (Photo by Mike Hutchings/Reuters)

A protester is taken away by policewomen after storming into the government headquarters in Hong Kong September 27, 2014. (Photo by Bobby Yip/Reuters)

A model showcases “The Bride” by Stephane Rolland on the catwalk as part of Women's Fashion Week Haute Couture program at Marina Bay Sands on October 30, 2011 in Singapore. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Early morning storms over the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya on August 26, 2016. (Photo by Action Press/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

A man walks on the Cobb as storm waves break behind on December 13, 2011 in Lyme Regis, England. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Ocean Beach after a rain storm in San Francisco, California, US, on Thursday, January 5, 2023. A powerful storm with hurricane-force gusts has begun to wind down after ripping across California, leaving behind power outages, flood threats and road closures just hours before another drenching is set to wash over the state. (Photo by Shelby Knowles/Bloomberg)