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BBC Weatherman Peter Gibbs was born in Sunderland, but moved to Kendal at an early age and considers himself lucky to have grown up in the beautiful surroundings of the English Lake District.

On graduating from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in 1979 with an Honours degree in Physics and Geography, he joined the British Antarctic Survey based in Cambridge. After training as a weather observer, Peter sailed to the Antarctic in October 1979 and travelled via the Falkland Islands and South Georgia to reach the British Halley base on the Brunt Ice Shelf. This became his home for the next two years. From here he made routine weather observations and balloon soundings and helped with the routine maintenance of the base, in temperatures as low as minus 40C.

Peter returned to the UK in May 1982 and joined the Met Office the following year 1983 as a trainee forecaster. He then spent several years in the forecast office at RAF Honington in Suffolk, followed by a short time working on the island of Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides, forecasting for the Army missile range.

Peter moved to Norwich Weather Centre in 1989. He began television broadcasting as a forecaster with BBC Norwich's Look East in 1993, and moved to the BBC Weather Centre to join the BBC World team in October 1997. He began forecasting for other BBC channels from November 1998 and as also appeared on BBC TV's Breakfast News. He now broadcasts across all BBC channels.

Peter is married to Sue and they have two children, Douglas and Elspeth. Much of his spare time is spent with the family, who all enjoy the countryside and whenever possible go walking cycling and sailing.

FAQ - Peter Gibbs
Find out the answers to some of your most frequently asked questions to the forecasters in our team. Here we quiz Peter Gibbs on your behalf...

What did you do before becoming a weather forecaster?
After graduating from Newcastle University I joined the British Antarctic Survey as a meteorologist, spending two years 'on the ice' at the Halley Bay station in Antarctica. I then joined the Met Office in 1983 as a forecaster, working at military stations and then Norwich Weather Centre.

When did you become a weather forecaster?
Easter 1993, on BBC 'Look East'.

Why did you want to be a weather forecaster?
A presenter was needed to join the team of three at Norwich. I was working at the Norwich Weather Centre as a forecaster and thought I might as well go to the audition just to see if I could do it. To my surprise, I was asked to join the team. A similar thing happened with my move to the London-based BBC Weather Centre in 1997.

Do you get nervous before a broadcast?
Not as much as I used to. Before my very first broadcast I was wondering what on earth I had taken on, but now I get just about nervous enough to help the performance. Some broadcasts are more nerve-wracking than others.

Have you ever made any mistakes?
We all make mistakes but fortunately none of mine have been serious. My most common problem is mixing up east and west.

Is your job hard?
There is a lot of pressure. Every shift is non-stop from beginning to end. Each broadcast needs a lot of preparation. We make up all the graphics ourselves and also have to keep a close eye on the latest weather developments.

Do you enjoy your job?
I like a challenge and this job has plenty of those. Many people's lives are affected by the weather so I do feel some satisfaction if I have managed to put the story across convincingly, especially in times of severe weather.

Could anyone do your job?
Anyone with the right background, experience and broadcasting skills! It's not something you just pick up overnight.

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	BBC Weatherman Peter Gibbs was born in Sunderland, but moved to Kendal at an early age and considers himself lucky to have grown up in the beautiful surroundings of the English Lake District. On graduating from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in 1979 with an Honours degree in Physics and Geography, he joined the British Antarctic Survey based in Cambridge. After training as a weather observer, Peter sailed to the Antarctic in October 1979 and travelled via the Falkland Islands and South Georgia to reach the British Halley base on the Brunt Ice Shelf. This became his home for the next two years. From here he made routine weather observations and balloon soundings and helped with the routine maintenance of the base, in temperatures as low as minus 40C. Peter returned to the UK in May 1982 and joined the Met Office the following year 1983 as a trainee forecaster. He then spent several years in the forecast office at RAF Honington in Suffolk, followed by a short time working on the island of Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides, forecasting for the Army missile range. Peter moved to Norwich Weather Centre in 1989. He began television broadcasting as a forecaster with BBC Norwich's Look East in 1993, and moved to the BBC Weather Centre to join the BBC World team in October 1997. He began forecasting for other BBC channels from November 1998 and as also appeared on BBC TV's Breakfast News. He now broadcasts across all BBC channels. Peter is married to Sue and they have two children, Douglas and Elspeth. Much of his spare time is spent with the family, who all enjoy the countryside and whenever possible go walking cycling and sailing. FAQ - Peter Gibbs Find out the answers to some of your most frequently asked questions to the forecasters in our team. Here we quiz Peter Gibbs on your behalf... What did you do before becoming a weather forecaster? After graduating from Newcastle University I joined the British Antarctic Survey as a meteorologist, spending two years 'on the ice' at the Halley Bay station in Antarctica. I then joined the Met Office in 1983 as a forecaster, working at military stations and then Norwich Weather Centre. When did you become a weather forecaster? Easter 1993, on BBC 'Look East'. Why did you want to be a weather forecaster? A presenter was needed to join the team of three at Norwich. I was working at the Norwich Weather Centre as a forecaster and thought I might as well go to the audition just to see if I could do it. To my surprise, I was asked to join the team. A similar thing happened with my move to the London-based BBC Weather Centre in 1997. Do you get nervous before a broadcast? Not as much as I used to. Before my very first broadcast I was wondering what on earth I had taken on, but now I get just about nervous enough to help the performance. Some broadcasts are more nerve-wracking than others. Have you ever made any mistakes? We all make mistakes but fortunately none of mine have been serious. My most common problem is mixing up east and west. Is your job hard? There is a lot of pressure. Every shift is non-stop from beginning to end. Each broadcast needs a lot of preparation. We make up all the graphics ourselves and also have to keep a close eye on the latest weather developments. Do you enjoy your job? I like a challenge and this job has plenty of those. Many people's lives are affected by the weather so I do feel some satisfaction if I have managed to put the story across convincingly, especially in times of severe weather. Could anyone do your job? Anyone with the right background, experience and broadcasting skills! It's not something you just pick up overnight.