91Èȱ¬

91Èȱ¬ One is to tap in to the nation's obsession with weather to explore and explain the UK's climate through a new interactive 4x60 minute series called The Weather Show – Live (working title).

The series commissioned by Alison Kirkham, Commissioning Editor for Formats and Features, 91Èȱ¬ One, will see a team which includes weather experts travelling around the country on a quest to understand the British climate. Why do over 100 tornadoes hit the UK each year? Why is June actually "monsoon" season for the UK? And what would the UK be like without the Gulf Stream?

The British Isles are made up of a multitude of microclimates which is why it can be sunny in one part of a region whilst raining in another. The Weather Show – Live team will explore how these swirling systems affect our everyday weather. Viewers will be encouraged to join in from home via experiments like how to make a barometer. The show will also map live weather conditions through viewer reports on the weather, where they are, while they are watching.

Combining science, history, geography, heritage, and real life stories, The Weather Show – Live team will also demystify and test whether traditional phrases can predict the weather, for instance, does "Red sky at night, shepherd's delight, red sky in morning shepherd's warning" really help predict the following day's weather?

The Weather Show – Live will visit Cornwall, the Lake District and Greenwich on its tour with a live and local audience at each destination.

Alison Kirkham, Commissioning Editor, Factual Formats and Features on 91Èȱ¬ One, commented: "Loved and loathed, the Great British weather is a national obsession, from rain at Wimbledon to whether it will snow at Christmas. The Weather Show – Live is a great way to learn more about our climate, our geography and indeed the way we live. By putting viewers right at the heart of the live show we hope they'll find it both engaging and entertaining."

Danny Cohen, Controller of 91Èȱ¬ One, commented: "The British obsession with weather is the perfect topic for an exciting live and interactive programme – the like of which I'm looking to develop more widely for early evenings on 91Èȱ¬ One."

The Weather Show – Live is a Love Productions series commissioned for Controller of 91Èȱ¬ One, Danny Cohen, by Alison Kirkham, Commissioning Editor for Formats and Features on 91Èȱ¬ One. Executive producers for Love Productions are Richard McKerrow and Anna Beattie.

RA