“Some days we don’t have to worry about the weather, but others we can have extremes from storms, to snow, to flooding. It’s important to use our knowledge to warn people what is coming,” shared BBC Wales Weather Presenter, Sabrina Lee.
Sabrina’s journey to becoming a meteorologist and weather presenter began whilst looking out the window in a geography lesson at school. She said:
“I always had a fascination when it came to the weather. I can remember looking out of the window thinking why do we get rain? Why do we get clouds? Why is the sky blue?”
At first, Sabrina didn’t realise what career her fascination with the weather would lead to, but opportunities kept pointing her in that direction. She shared: “Derek Brockway is a well-known weather presenter in Wales who I grew up watching. My friends and I invited him to talk about the weather in our class – he wasn’t able to come but he did invite us to the BBC studios for a tour. I also had my first flavour of presenting when the BBC came to my local sports centre.”
But it wasn’t until Sabrina was browsing the University of Reading prospectus that things clicked into place for her. She said: “When I saw meteorology in the prospectus, it suddenly all made sense that this would be the perfect degree and career for me.
“I went to a Visit Day at Reading where I realised that I didn’t have the right A-Levels for the course. I was determined not to let this stop me so I went back to school for an additional year to study maths and physics, and then applied to Reading.
“I had my heart set on it and it was the only university I wanted to go to.”
Seizing opportunities
Sabrina threw herself into studying meteorology at Reading and seized every opportunity that came her way.
She said: “The small class sizes really suited me and I was able to get to know my course mates, many of whom I’m still best friends with today, and I developed good relationships with my lecturers.
“My favourite module was on weather presentation where we got to practise on the green screen and then present. I came top of the class, and as a result, I was invited to meet Prince Edward and Laura Tobin. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to attend the event but it was still a stand-out moment for me that I got invited in recognition of my hard work.
“Nevertheless, I did secure one of ten places to go on a study abroad year to Oklahoma. This was a brilliant experience. I got to learn about the severe weather in America, and witnessed a tornado and an evacuation. I also presented on the student television programme and undertook an internship in Oklahoma City – when the meteorologist was on his dinner breaks he would let me play around on the green screen and record my forecast so I could build up a showreel.
“Back at Reading I joined the student radio station, Junction 11, the Spark newspaper, and the Media Society. In my spare time my friends and I would bring the science to life by sharing weather forecasts on social media, as not many students had televisions. I also joined the Ballet Society, and the Tap and Modern Dance Society.
“I’ve pushed myself over the years and seized opportunities to ultimately get me to where I am today.”
Communicating the story
After graduating Sabrina worked as a meteorologist for a company called MeteoGroup, which provided the data for BBC Weather and forecasts for utility clients, before making the jump into presenting for BBC Wales.
She said: “I did some writing for BBC, Sky and Channel 4, so I gained exposure to different channels and industries. I just tried to gain experience wherever I could.
“Then BBC Wales advertised for a new presenter for two days a week, so I applied and they saw some potential in me. I got that job in October 2019, which then became full-time, and I’ve now been here nearly six years.”
Sabrina began her presenting job just six months before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out – but despite the challenges, she rose to the occasion and is thriving in her career. She said:
“When the pandemic began there wasn’t any breakfast TV being produced in Wales – they brought it in from Manchester – so I had to do radio forecasts underneath a table covered by blankets to help with the sound!
“I’m passionate about understanding the science so that I can communicate a story and make it interesting for the audience. People don’t just turn to the television for their forecasts anymore, so I do a lot of online content as well. I loved doing a Taylor Swift weather forecast which went viral, and I also did a special forecast in Nessa style for the Gavin and Stacey Christmas special, as well as a recent Oasis themed one.”
You can view Sabrina’s Nessa style, Taylor Swift and Oasis themed forecasts on her Instagram page.
Sabrina continued: “A major stand-out career moment for me was being invited to Buckingham Palace to meet the King and Queen. This was in recognition for my work at BBC Wales, in particular the extra online content that I create. With weather getting more extreme, I think it’s important to give people a heads-up of what to expect with the weather and try to keep them safe.”
Sabrina also uses her position on television and social media to inspire others to take climate action, and in 2024 she took on the ‘no new clothes challenge’.
She said: “When I’m out and about people always ask me firstly about the weather, and secondly about my wardrobe. So I saw this as an opportunity to make a difference by drawing attention to climate issues and fast fashion. I’ve heard many stories from people who have been inspired by me to also take on this challenge.
“When it comes to climate change, our individual actions do add up and make a difference when we’re talking about thousands of people taking action.”
Understanding why the sky is blue
Sabrina shared that she owes a lot to her time at the University of Reading, and is grateful for the opportunity to visit and give back to current students.
She said: “I owe a lot to Reading – I now know why the sky is blue as I was taught that in one of the atmospheric physics classes. At Reading I gained so much knowledge, and some of my lecture notes I still draw on today.
“I’ve been back to Reading several times since graduating, including attending a careers fair on behalf of BBC Wales, giving a talk on my career to current students, and to interview Ed Hawkins about the climate stripes.
“I love to give back because I had such a great experience at Reading.”
Find out how the University of Reading is Partnering For The Planet.
