Serious Meteorology or Hot Weather Girls and Global Sexism?

Why is the weather so often presented by attractive women and is the weather forecast one of the major bastions of sexism across the world?

So are weather presenters chosen primarily for their expert knowledge of meteorology or just for their good looks? In the UK, BBC weather presenters are highly professional meteorologists from the UK Met Office, a government sponsored organisation with links to the Ministry of Defence.

Obviously an ability to present the weather to camera is also required and being attractive and photogenic is always an advantage. However, the BBC is not an organisation to expect its weather presenters (particularly the men!) to wear mini-skirts or crop tops.

The BBC and other global networks have evolved the art of presenting the weather from basic magnetic symbols, metal map boards and pointers to computer animations, 3D maps and radar and satellite images.

Other smaller networks however, with less resources, focus more on making the weather entertaining and attractive to their viewers.

While it is dangerous to draw on national stereotypes, northern countries tend towards more serious weather presenting while countries further south go for weather glamour. It also appears, the hotter the climate the less clothing weather girls seem to wear.

BBC Serious Weather

With weather so unpredictable, we British need to take our weather very seriously. Remember, a small shift in the Gulf Stream can wipe out a whole British Summer. So lets begin our exploration of TV weather forecasting and presenting with a typical BBC UK broadcast.

While the BBC weather presenter Laura Tobin is pretty and personable, the emphasis is firmly on the weather and the camera view is of the weather animation not the presenter's body .

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Spot the difference between this and the BBC version?

In a single word, Legs. Mapia, the leggy weather presenter and weather girl has them, in abundance. She frequently strides in front of the map, swinging her hips. Look at her body language. Her body is talking but not about the weather!

You can also predict that temperatures will rise when the Greek males watch this forecast. Whether they'll actually remember what the temperature will be tomorrow is another matter!

In Poland the weather forcast is short and sweet as are the white shorts on the polished, polish presenter Marzena.

Moving across Southern Europe to Italy we find weather girl Gabriela Grechi.

Gabbi is clearly top of the class as far as attractiveness goes but her presenting skills need considerable improvement.

Reading the weather from a clipboard is certainly not appealing and she clearly has no interest whatsoever in the chart behind her.  How on earth did she get the job?

Next let's cross the Atlantic to the home of really sizzling weather, Mexico.

We all know Mexico is a Latin country where they like everything really hot; including their weather girls!

You can see the temperatures rising as Mayte Carranco presents her forecast. Notice she has a delightful profile which she uses to full advantage.

Male Blood pressure rises across Mexico every time Ms Carranco turns. Can you really take in the figures on the map with Mayte's figure before you and the fluid motion of her delicious 'derrierre'? The icing on the cake is a lovely, flirty goodnight kiss to the camera at the end.

So who cares if its going to be another 'scorcher' tomorrow with Mayte on TV?

In case you think Mayte is a one off, check out another Mexican weather hottie, Sugey Abrego who is certainly sweet in her tight top and cycling shorts. Mexico is a mountainous country and Sugey is obviously built to match.

Look out too for the big hot hunk at the end with a stuffed dog. What's that all about? is he her big brother and does he work at MacDonald's?

Here is a great clip from the USA. Less about glamour and more about fun. How to turn the traffic and weather into serious comedy!

This is truly Funky and Cool. And can that weather girl move!

I've saved the 'best' (actually the worst!) until last. This clip from New Zealand of the Weather Angels is so awful it is a priceless TV gem!

Any pretence at serious weather presenting has gone. The technology is non-existant and the acting is excruciating.

Look out for the dreadful use of camera and the revolting set. What about the white sofa? What is the upside down green alien all about? The girls certainly can't dance.

The most professional bit is probably the nippleometer (Yes - I had difficulty spelling it) on board the sailing boat.

When it comes to the actual forecast, the girl in black struggles to read the weather from a clipboard but is helped by her friend striking the blackboard map with a lasso.

If you can 'bare' to watch it to the end then checkout the finale, the 'horseriding' scene. Strangely, the Weather Angels are by far the least erotic of the weather girls in this series of video clips.

So there you have it. The whole spectrum of weather presentation from the more seriously minded BBC to some wacky stuff from around the globe. Performances that rely more on the assets and talents of the female presenters and weather girls than their ability as meteorologists or the technology that they use.

Is the Weather Forecast sexist? I’ll leave you and the performance of the weather girls to decide!