Heather Reid
Encyclopedia
Heather Reid OBE CPhys
FinstP
(born c. 1969) is a Scottish
meteorologist and former television weather presenter for BBC Scotland
. She was formerly employed by the UK Met Office
, starting in 1993.
'Heather the Weather' was BBC Scotland's senior weather forecaster, having presented the weather on Reporting Scotland
from 1994 to 2009.
. She followed this with a masters degree in image processing
from Edinburgh University's Meteorology Department.
Between 1999 and 2001, Reid was Chairperson of the Institute of Physics
in Scotland. She is also is a fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society
and has an honorary lectureship in the Physics and Astronomy Dept at Glasgow University. In 2001, she was awarded the Public Awareness of Physics prize for her science communication work and the prestigious Kelvin Medal
from the Institute of Physics
in 2004. Reid holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Paisley, and has also served as a Council member and non-executive director of the Institute of Physics
London. On 16 June 2010 she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Glasgow
.
In the summer of 2006, Reid became a member of the Board of Trustees of Glasgow Science Centre
, maintaining a connection that has seen her involved in various stages with the Centre, notably developing educational weather shows and workshops.
Reid was awarded the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire
(OBE) for services to physics in HM Queen Elizabeth II's
New Year Honours list, announced on 30 December 2006.
On 9 December 2009, Reid announced her forthcoming departure from BBC Scotland as its chief weather forecaster. She presented her final forecast for Reporting Scotland on 22 December 2009.
She now works as science education consultant with a variety of organisations. Reid is also a member of the science and engineering education advisory group recently set up by the Scottish Government.
She currently resides in Glasgow with her husband Miles Padgett, a professor of physics, and their daughter.
Chartered Physicist
Chartered Physicist is a chartered status and a professional qualification awarded by the Institute of Physics.Achieving chartered status in any profession denotes to the wider community a high level of specialised subject knowledge and professional competence...
FinstP
Institute of Physics
The Institute of Physics is a scientific charity devoted to increasing the practice, understanding and application of physics. It has a worldwide membership of around 40,000....
(born c. 1969) is a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
meteorologist and former television weather presenter for BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland is a constituent part of the British Broadcasting Corporation, the publicly-funded broadcaster of the United Kingdom. It is, in effect, the national broadcaster for Scotland, having a considerable amount of autonomy from the BBC's London headquarters, and is run by the BBC Trust, who...
. She was formerly employed by the UK Met Office
Met Office
The Met Office , is the United Kingdom's national weather service, and a trading fund of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
, starting in 1993.
'Heather the Weather' was BBC Scotland's senior weather forecaster, having presented the weather on Reporting Scotland
Reporting Scotland
Reporting Scotland is BBC Scotland's national television news programme. The programme first aired on 1 April 1968, with three main presenters - the most famous being Mary Marquis...
from 1994 to 2009.
Career
Reid was born in Paisley, and graduated from Edinburgh University with an honours degree in physicsPhysics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
. She followed this with a masters degree in image processing
Image processing
In electrical engineering and computer science, image processing is any form of signal processing for which the input is an image, such as a photograph or video frame; the output of image processing may be either an image or, a set of characteristics or parameters related to the image...
from Edinburgh University's Meteorology Department.
Between 1999 and 2001, Reid was Chairperson of the Institute of Physics
Institute of Physics
The Institute of Physics is a scientific charity devoted to increasing the practice, understanding and application of physics. It has a worldwide membership of around 40,000....
in Scotland. She is also is a fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society
Royal Meteorological Society
The Royal Meteorological Society traces its origins back to 3 April 1850 when the British Meteorological Society was formed as a society the objects of which should be the advancement and extension of meteorological science by determining the laws of climate and of meteorological phenomena in general...
and has an honorary lectureship in the Physics and Astronomy Dept at Glasgow University. In 2001, she was awarded the Public Awareness of Physics prize for her science communication work and the prestigious Kelvin Medal
Kelvin Prize
The Kelvin Medal and Prize is awarded by the Institute of Physics. It was established in 1994 and named after Lord Kelvin. The prize is awarded each year to acknowledge outstanding contributions to the public understanding of physics.-Kelvin Medallists:...
from the Institute of Physics
Institute of Physics
The Institute of Physics is a scientific charity devoted to increasing the practice, understanding and application of physics. It has a worldwide membership of around 40,000....
in 2004. Reid holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Paisley, and has also served as a Council member and non-executive director of the Institute of Physics
Institute of Physics
The Institute of Physics is a scientific charity devoted to increasing the practice, understanding and application of physics. It has a worldwide membership of around 40,000....
London. On 16 June 2010 she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
.
In the summer of 2006, Reid became a member of the Board of Trustees of Glasgow Science Centre
Glasgow Science Centre
Glasgow Science Centre is a visitor attraction located on the south bank of the River Clyde in Glasgow, Scotland. It is a purpose-built science centre composed of three principal buildings which are the Science Mall, an IMAX cinema and the Glasgow Tower...
, maintaining a connection that has seen her involved in various stages with the Centre, notably developing educational weather shows and workshops.
Reid was awarded the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(OBE) for services to physics in HM Queen Elizabeth II's
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
New Year Honours list, announced on 30 December 2006.
On 9 December 2009, Reid announced her forthcoming departure from BBC Scotland as its chief weather forecaster. She presented her final forecast for Reporting Scotland on 22 December 2009.
She now works as science education consultant with a variety of organisations. Reid is also a member of the science and engineering education advisory group recently set up by the Scottish Government.
She currently resides in Glasgow with her husband Miles Padgett, a professor of physics, and their daughter.