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Weather presenter Sara Blizzard to leave BBC

BBC Sara Blizzard wearing a black patterned dress stood in front of a digital screen.BBC
Sara Blizzard joined the BBC in 1999

Weather presenter Sara Blizzard has announced she is leaving the BBC after 26 years.

Blizzard became a familiar face to many, with viewers of regional news programmes East Midlands Today and North West Tonight enjoying the aptness of her name.

Her departure was confirmed on Thursday, prompting a flurry of warm farewell messages, which the 55-year-old said she loved reading and made her "quite emotional".

"I have loved doing the weather over the years and it has given me the chance to visit many interesting places," she said.

Blizzard - also a familiar voice to listeners of BBC local radio - grew up in Coventry and her first taste of broadcasting came at the Walsgrave General's hospital radio.

She worked behind the scenes at Mercia FM - an independent station - before presenting a breakfast show on Leicester Sound.

During this time, Sara said she interviewed a very young Ronan Keating and Shane Lynch from Boyzone.

Blizzard then worked as a reporter in Liverpool before joining the BBC in 1999, replacing Lisa Dransfield as the main weather presenter on East Midlands Today.

Sara Blizzard wearing black headphones and sat in front of a purple-headed microphone
Sara Blizzard says one thing she might not miss is starting work at 03:00

She said one of her favourite moments at the BBC was being part of the weather briefing for the Red Arrows and then seeing them practice overhead at RAF Waddington.

There were also fond memories of a visit to Benidorm with Pudsey and one Children in Need night where she and Nicola Beswick sang It's Raining Men while being hosed down by the fire brigade at East Midlands Airport.

"With the weather moving into the future again I felt it was time to maybe take on a new challenge in my life, hopefully involving flowers" she said.

"I will miss all my colleagues on radio and in television but the one thing I might not miss is the 03:00 start battling the various storms and in the snow trying to get into to work - but at least I knew it was coming."

Viewers and listeners will still be able to see and hear her broadcasting until February.

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