Kirsty McCabe
Encyclopedia
Kirsty McCabe is a Scottish weather forecaster working for Daybreak
.
District Council
and Borderline Theatre Company
. During this time she played roles in many stage productions including Alice in Alice in Wonderland and performed as a solo singer on many occasions, notably performing John Lennon
's "Imagine
" in the 1993 production of Summertime Blues.
McCabe studied Geophysics
at the University of Edinburgh
, graduating with a first class honours degree before going on to spend three months as an intern at NASA
's Goddard Space Flight Center
in Maryland
, where she used satellite magnetic data to interpret the underlying crustal structure of parts of Australasia
. Further study at the University of Oxford
saw her involved in a project to look for evidence of climate change in old volcanic soils on the Greek island of Santorini
(Thera). While at Oxford she was elected President of the Jesus College
Graduate Common Room. During her time at Oxford she was offered a three-month internship at New Scientist
magazine where she went on to work as a sub-editor for four years.
College in 2004 and her advanced forecaster exams in 2005. She then presented forecasts across a number of BBC outlets, including BBC News, Radio 4
, BBC World News and BBC One
. McCabe was a main weather presenter for BBC News at Ten and occasionally presented the weather on the News at One.
In January 2006, Kirsty briefly gained some measure of notoriety in Scotland following a forecast where she told Rangers FC fans heading to their game to "wrap up warm if they are heading for Castle Grayskull
". (Castle Grayskull is often used as a derogatory term for Ibrox Stadium
by opposing football fans).
In November 2008, it was announced that she would be replacing Andrea McLean
as GMTV
's weather forecaster. In September 2010, McCabe joined GMTV's replacement Daybreak
as a weather presenter and environment correspondent alongside Lucy Verasamy
.
Daybreak (ITV)
Daybreak is the weekday breakfast television programme on the British commercial ITV network that broadcasts on weekday mornings from 06:00 to 08:30 and is currently presented by Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley from Monday to Thursday with Dan Lobb and Kate Garraway on Fridays...
.
Early life
While at high school McCabe was an early member of the Palace Youth Theatre which was a joint venture between Kilmarnock and LoudounKilmarnock and Loudoun
See:*Kilmarnock and Loudoun District*Kilmarnock and Loudoun Scottish Parliament constituency.*Kilmarnock and Loudoun UK Parliament Constituency...
District Council
Subdivisions of Scotland
For local government purposes, Scotland is divided into 32 areas designated as "council areas" which are all governed by unitary authorities designated as "councils"...
and Borderline Theatre Company
Borderline Theatre Company
Borderline Theatre company is a touring theatre company based in Ayr, Scotland.Its alumni include the actors Billy Connolly and Robbie Coltrane. Recent successes include the award-winning, critically acclaimed plays The Wall and The Ducky by D C Jackson....
. During this time she played roles in many stage productions including Alice in Alice in Wonderland and performed as a solo singer on many occasions, notably performing John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
's "Imagine
Imagine (song)
"Imagine" is a song written and performed by the English musician John Lennon. It is the opening track on his album Imagine, released in 1971...
" in the 1993 production of Summertime Blues.
McCabe studied Geophysics
Geophysics
Geophysics is the physics of the Earth and its environment in space; also the study of the Earth using quantitative physical methods. The term geophysics sometimes refers only to the geological applications: Earth's shape; its gravitational and magnetic fields; its internal structure and...
at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, graduating with a first class honours degree before going on to spend three months as an intern at NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
's Goddard Space Flight Center
Goddard Space Flight Center
The Goddard Space Flight Center is a major NASA space research laboratory established on May 1, 1959 as NASA's first space flight center. GSFC employs approximately 10,000 civil servants and contractors, and is located approximately northeast of Washington, D.C. in Greenbelt, Maryland, USA. GSFC,...
in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, where she used satellite magnetic data to interpret the underlying crustal structure of parts of Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
. Further study at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
saw her involved in a project to look for evidence of climate change in old volcanic soils on the Greek island of Santorini
Santorini
Santorini , officially Thira , is an island located in the southern Aegean Sea, about southeast from Greece's mainland. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago which bears the same name and is the remnant of a volcanic caldera...
(Thera). While at Oxford she was elected President of the Jesus College
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
Graduate Common Room. During her time at Oxford she was offered a three-month internship at New Scientist
New Scientist
New Scientist is a weekly non-peer-reviewed English-language international science magazine, which since 1996 has also run a website, covering recent developments in science and technology for a general audience. Founded in 1956, it is published by Reed Business Information Ltd, a subsidiary of...
magazine where she went on to work as a sub-editor for four years.
Career
McCabe joined the BBC Weather team in September 2003 and started her training on new media forecasts working on the BBC Digital's interactive service and online. She completed the first part of her forecaster training at the Met OfficeMet Office
The Met Office , is the United Kingdom's national weather service, and a trading fund of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
College in 2004 and her advanced forecaster exams in 2005. She then presented forecasts across a number of BBC outlets, including BBC News, Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
, BBC World News and BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
. McCabe was a main weather presenter for BBC News at Ten and occasionally presented the weather on the News at One.
In January 2006, Kirsty briefly gained some measure of notoriety in Scotland following a forecast where she told Rangers FC fans heading to their game to "wrap up warm if they are heading for Castle Grayskull
Castle Grayskull
Castle Grayskull is a fortress located on the fictional planet Eternia. It forms a central location in the Masters of the Universe toy/comic/animation universe, and also appears in the 1987 live action adaptation....
". (Castle Grayskull is often used as a derogatory term for Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...
by opposing football fans).
In November 2008, it was announced that she would be replacing Andrea McLean
Andrea McLean
Andrea McLean is a Scottish television presenter who shares the role of anchor on ITV's Loose Women and is a former GMTV weather girl.-Biography:...
as GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
's weather forecaster. In September 2010, McCabe joined GMTV's replacement Daybreak
Daybreak (ITV)
Daybreak is the weekday breakfast television programme on the British commercial ITV network that broadcasts on weekday mornings from 06:00 to 08:30 and is currently presented by Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley from Monday to Thursday with Dan Lobb and Kate Garraway on Fridays...
as a weather presenter and environment correspondent alongside Lucy Verasamy
Lucy Verasamy
Lucy Verasamy is a weather forecaster and environment correspondent for Daybreak on ITV. From 2005 until September 2010, she worked for Sky News as a weather forecaster.-Early life:...
.