SAD NEWS: BBC weather presenter Jay Wynne D!ES, former weather chief’s TRIBUTE moves audience

Former BBC weather presenter Jay Wynne, who regularly appeared on News at Ten, has d!ed at the age of 56 after a long-term illness, his brother Matthew Wynne confirmed. He didn’t reveal details of his illness but paid touching tribute to his sibling saying: “Jay had a gift for gentle clarity, making his forecasts for sometimes complex weather systems feel accessible and engaging. A keen skier, golfer and musician, Jay enjoyed travelling to pursue his sporting interests. We will miss his wisdom, generosity and dry sense of humour.”

Liz Howell, former Head of BBC Weather also paid tribute to the star. “I am deeply saddened to hear this news. Jay blazed a trail to bring greater diversity to weather forecasting and was a pleasure to work with. He had his own distinctive style of presenting the weather story which was very popular with audiences. My condolences to his family and friends,” she said.

Jay was inspired to launch his career in weather while studying Environmental Geography at the University of Aberdeen. He went on to complete a master’s degree in Applied Meteorology at the University of Reading.

Following this he joined BBC Weather in October 2000 and became a regular forecaster on BBC News at Ten. He also regularly appeared on BBC News 24, BBC Radio 4 and BBC World.

He had a true passion for meteorology which he demonstrated in a 2011 interview with Radio Times.”I have been known to drive around after night shifts, waiting for the sun to come up.

At night, it’s difficult to tell what kind of cloud there is on satellite pictures, so I like to see if I was right. More often than not, I am,” he said.

Jay was born in London to American parents and following his early education at Ardingly College, West Sussex took a roundabout route into his career.

Prior to realising where his heart lay he had studied Civil Engineering at university, but dropped out two years into the course after realising it wasn’t for him.

He then spent three years as a technician on a North Sea offshore oil rig before returning to university to study Environmental Geography. He travelled widely as part of his environmental research exploring South-East Asia and working as an English teacher in Fukuoka, Japan before studying for his masters degree.

In 1999 he joined the Met Office undertaking a 14-month training programme, including a a six-month secondment at RAF Northolt.