Heather Reid facts for kids

Heather Reid is a famous Scottish meteorologist and science expert. You might know her as "Heather the Weather"! She used to be a popular weather presenter on BBC Scotland.

Heather is also a physicist, which means she studies how the world works, from tiny atoms to huge galaxies. She loves to share her knowledge and make science fun for everyone.

Heather's Journey in Science

Heather Reid was born in Paisley, Scotland. She went to the University of Edinburgh to study physics. After that, she earned a special master's degree. This degree taught her how to use satellite images to understand weather patterns.

Working with Weather

In 1993, Heather started working at the UK Met Office. This is the United Kingdom's national weather service. There, she did research using satellites to predict the weather.

From 1994 to 2009, Heather became a familiar face on TV. She worked as a weather presenter for BBC Scotland. She was the main weather forecaster for the news show Reporting Scotland. Her last broadcast was on December 22, 2009.

Making Science Fun

Today, Heather works as a consultant for science education. This means she helps schools and organizations teach science in exciting ways. She also works to promote science to the public. She wants everyone to see how amazing science is!

Heather was a leader at the Institute of Physics in Scotland. This is an important group for people who study physics. She also helped guide the main Institute in London.

Helping Science Centres

For ten years, Heather was on the Board of Trustees for the Glasgow Science Centre. She helped create fun and educational weather shows and workshops there. She loves helping young people learn about science.

Heather also advises the Scottish Government on how to improve science and engineering education. She helps make sure kids in Scotland get a great science education.

More recently, Heather joined the board of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority. She was chosen as its leader in 2023. She also joined the board of NatureScot in 2021, which helps protect Scotland's natural environment.

Awards and Special Honours

Heather Reid has received many important awards for her work. She is a Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society, a top group for weather experts. She also teaches at the University of Glasgow.

In 2001, she won the Public Awareness of Physics prize. This award was from the Institute of Physics for her great work in sharing science with everyone. In 2004, she received the special Kelvin Medal from the same institute.

Heather has also been given honorary doctorates from several universities. These include Paisley University (2003), the University of Glasgow (2010), and The Open University (2015). An honorary doctorate is a special degree given to someone who has achieved a lot.

In 2007, Heather was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE). This is a very high honour from the British government. She received it for her amazing contributions to physics.

Heather's Family Life

Heather lives in Glasgow with her husband, Miles J. Padgett. He is also a professor of physics. They have a daughter named Jenna.