Stormy weather has a lot of people cancelling as many plans outside of the home as possible.
In the upcoming hours, western parts of the UK will be blown so hard by Storm Kathleen that 70mph winds are expected, forcing some Brits indoors.
The Met Office warning was updated on Friday and warned of injuries and danger to life from ‘large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties’, a possibility that ‘road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected’ and the potential for power cuts and phone service outages.
While the people who live in areas impacted hardest are advised to be cautious, Alison Freeman has spent her career walking into the storm (carefully, of course).
As a BBC news presenter for 25 years, she has spent years telling us the weather is quite bad while standing in the quite bad weather. Battling the elements, getting soaked, and shouting over loud wind is just part of the day job for Alison, who describes herself as a ‘generally windswept reporter’.
When TV reporters get stationed outside, viewers often have one question – ‘Why?’ Broadcast journalists could tell us what’s going on from the safety of a TV studio but there’s a simple reason.
‘Television is supposed to be visual. Everybody is looking to see what’s going on and we provide that.
‘If we’re out there, other people don’t have to be,’ she added to Metro.co.uk.
Alison has previously been contacted by those concerned about her safety. She finds their messages ‘sweet’ but would like to reassure everyone that thorough risk assessments take place and she’s actually having a nice time.
‘No one ever forces us to stay anywhere,’ she told us.
‘It can be interesting to be out in the elements. I get a front-row seat to the crazy weather events.’
While some social media commentary is wholesome, some also find the humour in news reporters being ‘battered’ by the weather.
‘I find it amusing,’ laughed Alison.
‘When the weather has serious consequences then I don’t want to make light of it, but when everyone is safe, you can laugh about it.’
Her standout memory is Storm Doris, which she reported on from the Blackpool promenade. While being whacked by foam from the sea during the 94mph winds, she still managed to deliver a coherent news report. ‘I could feel the power of the weather. Watching it back, I looked absolutely ridiculous.’
With decades of experience under her anorak, she has gotten used to the routine of a weather warning.
It all begins when murmurings of an incoming storm travel through the newsroom – usually a day or two before it’s happening. When it’s a confirmed event, preparation begins with an early night as she’ll wake up at 4am, so she can be on location for sunrise. When her alarm buzzes, getting storm-ready is a process she has perfected.
‘I’m the coldest person you’ve ever met. I have become skilled at putting on many layers as there is nothing more miserable than being freezing cold and soaking wet,’ she told us.
Her outfit will include two pairs of socks, a pair of tights, waterproof trousers (‘Never forget your waterproof trousers, I learnt the hard way’), a base layer, a fleece, a big jacket, and a hat. ‘I have extras hanging in the back of my car just in case too,’ she informed us. On her eyelashes, she’ll always wear waterproof mascara for obvious reasons. Her hair is left to its own devices after years of failing to control it.
Just off-camera will always be a warm vehicle with the heating turned right up, which Alison will wait until the last minute to jump out of and deliver her report.
What we also don’t see is Alison will be frequently drinking from a hot tea flask, and as soon as the shoot is wrapped she’ll head to the nearest establishment serving hot food. The components have helped her to avoid catching colds, she believes.
The generosity of the general public regularly has a positive impact on her working day. ‘When people see us outside they will often take pity on us. I’ve met people whose homes or businesses have just flooded and they’ll still be offering us a cup of tea. People are so kind and generous,’ she told us.
‘Getting out and about and talking to people is what I really love to do. People are at the heart of everything we do.’
To ensure personal safety, there are golden rules Alison and her crew follow.
She will never walk through flood water. If there is a lot of debris on the ground then her crew won’t stay at the location, as it could hit them during strong winds. While camera trickery often gives the impression she is close to the sea when reporting from beaches, Alison is always a considerable distance away just in case the tide dramatically comes out, or material is flung at her station.
‘I don’t want to get hurt so I’ll never put myself at risk,’ she stated.
‘All in all, it’s one of the easier jobs, compared to having to memorise a complicated court report, here I’m just standing outside and describing what I see. I do need to speak louder than I usually would though to combat the volume of the wind!’
For Alison, reporting on the weather will always be special and not something she plans on giving up anytime soon.
‘Everybody is obsessed with the weather.
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‘In Britain, it’s often what we default to in small talk – methods to defrost the car, or whether the temperature is normal for the time of year are hot topics, so it’s an honour to be able to play my part in that.’
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