George Cowling

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George Cowling (2 March 1920 – 24 December 2009) was the BBC’s first television weather presenter. He began with the Met Office in 1939 and worked as a meteorologist for the Royal Air Force during World War II, serving in Britain, Normandy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. He joined the BBC in 1954 and, on 11 January 1954, gave the first ever televised weather forecast from Lime Grove Studios. The live bulletin lasted about five minutes and used a weather map, with Cowling showing the forecast for the next day using a pencil and rubber. He continued presenting weather until 1957, when he left to rejoin the RAF.

In 1957 he joined RAF Bomber Command and served in Singapore, Malta, Bahrain and Germany. He later became a senior instructor at the Met Office College and then the principal forecaster at Heathrow Airport. He retired from the Met Office in 1981 and spent five years as a meteorology consultant for a marine engineering firm. His hobby was golf, and he was a member of Burnham Beeches Golf Club, like fellow BBC weathermen Jack Scott and Bert Foord. He lived in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, and died on 24 December 2009 after a short stay in hospital.