Derek Brockway facts for kids

Derek Clifford Brockway (born on October 29, 1967) is a well-known Welsh meteorologist. A meteorologist is a scientist who studies the Earth's atmosphere and predicts the weather. Derek joined the BBC in 1995. He works at BBC Cymru Wales in Cardiff, Wales. He presents weather forecasts on radio, television, and online. He also appears in other interesting programmes.

Derek's Early Life and Learning

Derek Brockway was born in Barry, Wales. He went to Holton Road Primary School. His love for weather started when he was a boy. This was during the very hot summer of 1976.

He attended Barry Boys Comprehensive school from 1979 to 1986. There, he studied subjects like mathematics, physics, and geology. After school, he worked for the Civil Service briefly. Then, he joined the Met Office as an observer. This meant he helped collect weather information.

He worked at Cardiff Weather Centre. He also reported weather for air traffic control at airports. These included Cardiff Airport and Birmingham Airport. He even spent eight months in the Falkland Islands in 1993 and 1994. There, he worked closely with the Royal Air Force.

Derek continued his studies at Coleg Morgannwg and Reading College of Technology. In 1993, he earned a special certificate in maths, statistics, and physics.

Derek's Career in Weather

Derek became a qualified weather forecaster in 1995. His first job as a forecaster was in Birmingham. He broadcast weather reports on many BBC Radio stations. These stations covered the English Midlands.

On Television

In December 1995, Derek moved to London. He worked at The London Studios. He prepared weather forecasts for ITV Weather and Channel 4. He also broadcast on GMTV's The Sunday Programme.

After a year, Derek worked at the Met Office headquarters. He was an Environmental Consultant there. In September 1997, he returned to Wales. He joined BBC Wales Today. He became the main weather forecaster. He presented forecasts for lunchtime, evening, and late news. He also presents weather updates for BBC Radio Wales during the week.

Derek has always been fascinated by the weather. He has hosted his own TV show called Derek’s Welsh Weather. He also had a radio show named Derek's Lightning Guide to Weather.

The BBC Wales weather team grew in 2008. Derek was joined by other weather presenters. They cover breakfast and weekend forecasts. They also fill in for him when he is away. Derek makes many live broadcasts each day.

In 2022, Derek received the British Empire Medal (BEM). This award was for his great work in broadcasting and charity in Wales.

Walking Adventures

Derek loves walking. He had five series on BBC Radio Wales called Weatherman Walking. This radio show later became a television series. The TV show started in January 2011 on BBC One Wales. It features Derek exploring different walking routes.

Learning Welsh

Derek appeared in The Big Welsh Challenge. This show challenged Welsh famous people to learn the Welsh language. At the start of the 2015 S4C show Cariad@Iaith, Derek said he knew "quite a bit of Welsh." He was not completely fluent, but he was learning. In 2010, Derek was part of a Welsh language exam. He read weather headlines and was interviewed. He often starts his broadcasts with his famous greeting, 'Shwmae!' (Hello!).

Other TV Appearances

Derek has also appeared in other TV shows. In 2009, he was in an episode of Gavin & Stacey. He played himself, presenting the weather. He has also been on the Welsh consumer show X-Ray. He co-hosted Jamie and Derek's Welsh Weekends with Jamie Owen. He has been a guest on the Radio Wales show What's The Story?. He also appeared on the BBC's Auntie's Bloomers after a funny moment with an umbrella. In 2004, he helped raise money for Autism Cymru. He was photographed for a calendar with other famous people.

See also

• BBC Weather