Image: Forecast Officer George Cowling in January 1954.
The first weather forecaster to appear in vision, standing before a map, was George Cowling. He made his debut on 11 January 1954 as the BBC introduced a new way of presenting the weather, which aimed to stress the continuity of the forecast from one day to the next. Cowling's delivery was a long way from the informal approach taken by today's weather presenters, but he introduced a personal touch when he said tomorrow would be good for drying washing. He also set a precedent, appearing on screen several months before the first newsreader.
All weather forecasters were professional meteorologists, employed by the Met. Office. Cowling - described in the Radio Times as "a 31 year-old Yorkshireman, married and father of a 5-year old son" - shared presenting duties with Tom Clifton. The weathermen used charcoal sticks to draw weather features on two charts, one for today and one for tomorrow's forecast. Cowling and Clifton became popular figures, referred to in the press as "Mr Shower and Mr Shine" and "Mr West and Mr Dry".
George Cowling died in 2009. Weather forecasting today is far more accurate than in 1954 and longer term forecasts are possible. Presentations are aided by satellite imagery and computer technology, but still rely on weather presenters to humanise the bare facts.
Further reading
January anniversaries
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