My
name's Brendan Jones and I'm a meterologist working for MeteoGroup
UK, a private weather company based in London, England. Like
many typical Brits, I'm a little crazy when it comes to the weather!
I've been known to drop everything and race to the nearby mountain,
just to get a look at weather action! I decided to help create this
website when I realised I wasnt alone in the world - there's many of
you out there just as crazy as I am! I'm 29 at present and live in Surrey.
I'm Welsh by birth however, and I'm originally from a small village
called Hope, (yes, I live in Hope) which is about a mile from the English
border in NE Wales.
Where my passion for the weather came from I really don't know! Up until
the age of 15 I wanted to become a veterinary surgeon, but 2 weeks and
several canine castrations in a local vets soon cleared that desire.
In 2002, I completed a degree in meteorology in Reading University.
I then continued my studies, obtaining a Masters degree in Geohazard
Assessment (the risk assessment of volcanoes, earthquakes, storm surges
etc) at Portsmouth University. From there I joined MeteoGroup as a forecaster
where I've been since 2003 (with the exception of a 6 month stint at
the UK Met Office).
Now
I'm working as a professional weather forecaster, my ultimate ambition
is to go storm chasing on the Great Plains of the US. I've already chased
in Florida, with some spectacular results, but I've been on plenty of
storm chases over here in the UK. Some of my best photos to date have
been from the comfort of my own home!
I
hope the site has something to offer you. Please do keep returning as
we will be regularly updating. We'd love you to send us any photos you
think will be of interest and we'll endeavor to put them on the site
right away!
Bren
My
name's Laura Gilchrist, and I’m
currently working for the Met
Office at the BBC
Weather Centre, based in London, having spent the last
couple of years at MeteoGroup
UK. I decided at the age of 14 that I wanted to work in
weather, and now I’ve made it I'm certain I made the right choice!
And yes, I did get to work with the likes of Mr Fish before he retired!
;-)
I spent one week of work experience at the (now sadly closed) Southampton
Weather Centre when I was 16, and that helped cement my ambition;
in future I hope to train as a forecaster.
Severe
weather is my main interest though and I, like Bren, have held the
ambition to go storm chasing for as long as I can remember. Hopefully
ambition will become reality within the next few years when we head
out to the US Plains in search of supercells and, fingers crossed,
tornadoes (funds allowing of course, student life and now the taxman
have both left me a little poor!).
In
the meantime, Bren and I have made the best of UK stormchasing; 2004
was particularly successful when we chased storms in Worcestershire,
Lincolnshire and across the Cotswolds.. the latter resulting in what
we believe was a low-topped supercell that produced a damaging tornado
just half a mile from where we had stopped! The UK roads may not be
as easy to chase on, but I'm a firm believer that if you make the
effort you can get the results!
Enjoy the site; don’t forget we want your feedback!
Laura
