Richard Edgar

Richard Edgar was born in Brighouse, West Yorkshire and educated at Bradford Grammar School and Leeds Polytechnic, where he obtained a BSc in production engineering.

Further qualifications included an HNC in business studies from South West London College.

After graduating in 1977, Richard spent two and a half years working in Turkey and Iran as a consultant engineer. While in Iran he formed his own company manufacturing kitchen furniture.

As a result of the Iranian revolution in 1979, he lost his business and returned to the UK to join the Royal Navy as Officer Aircrew.

Naval life saw Richard undertake flying training, gain further qualifications as a ship's watch-keeping officer and air traffic controller and specialist training in oceanography and meteorology.

He travelled the world, served twice in the Falklands, met his future wife in Bermuda and became the Navy's first windsurfing instructor.

On leaving the Navy in 1986 Richard spent two years trying to break into television, during which he worked as a salesman.

In 1988, he became Thames Television's weather reporter and undertook TV production and journalism training.

In November 1989, Richard joined the Met Office at the London Weather Centre, specialising in press and media work.

In January 1991 he joined ITV's national weather team, producing and presenting weather bulletins for ITN and producing weather packages for Granada, HTV and TV2 Norway.

Richard became a member of the BBC's weather team in July 1993, presenting national weather bulletins for TV and radio.

He left the Met Office and the BBC in 2000 to pursue other interests.

Richard, who lives in Surrey, is married and has two children. He enjoys squash and tennis and is a yacht skipper and keen windsurfer.

A DIY enthusiast, he loves the outdoor life and also finds time to run a weather roadshow.

Met Office
Royal Meteorological Society
Becoming a forecaster