Paul Hudson

Paul Hudson
Born	Paul David Hudson 27 2, 1971
Birthplace	Keighley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Nationality	British
Occupation	Weather presenter, climate change correspondent
Employer	BBC Yorkshire BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
Known for	BBC Look North (Leeds and Hull editions)
Education	Newcastle University (Geophysics and Planetary Physics)
Awards	Honorary Fellow, Bradford College (2014)

Paul David Hudson (born 27 February 1971) is an English weather presenter and environment correspondent for BBC Yorkshire and BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Born and raised in Keighley, West Yorkshire, Hudson has been a familiar face on regional television for more than two decades, delivering weather forecasts and reporting on climate and environmental issues across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. After studying geophysics and planetary physics at Newcastle University, he trained at the Met Office before joining the BBC, where he became a regular presence on the regional news programme BBC Look North. Known for his approachable on-screen manner and his humorous interactions with fellow presenters, Hudson has built a substantial following among viewers in northern England. He was made an Honorary Fellow of Bradford College in 2014 in recognition of his contributions to broadcasting and public engagement with weather and climate science. Beyond his television work, Hudson has maintained a blog for the BBC discussing weather patterns and climate change, and has lent his voice to various regional initiatives in Yorkshire.

Early Life

Paul David Hudson was born on 27 February 1971 in Keighley, a town in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. He was raised in the town and developed an early interest in weather and the natural world. In an interview with The Yorkshire Post, Hudson stated that he had known from a young age that he wanted to be a weather forecaster, describing it as a calling he pursued with sustained enthusiasm.

Hudson grew up in West Yorkshire during the 1970s and 1980s, a period that saw several notable weather events in northern England, which may have contributed to his fascination with meteorology. His upbringing in Keighley, situated in the Aire Valley at the edge of the Pennines, provided regular exposure to varied and often dramatic weather conditions characteristic of the region. Hudson has spoken publicly about his Yorkshire roots and his attachment to the county. In a feature for The Yorkshire Post titled "My Yorkshire," he discussed the formative influence the region had on his life and career.

His connection to the local community has remained strong throughout his career. In a light-hearted civic tradition, Hudson was at one point named the honorary "Mayor of Wetwang," a small village in the East Riding of Yorkshire, a title that underscored both his popularity in the region and the affectionate regard in which he is held by his audience.

Education

Hudson attended Newcastle University, where he studied geophysics and planetary physics. The programme provided a scientific grounding in atmospheric science, earth sciences, and the physical processes governing planetary systems. This academic background laid the foundation for his subsequent career in meteorology and climate reporting.

After completing his degree at Newcastle, Hudson joined the Met Office, the United Kingdom's national weather service, where he undertook a two-year training programme at the Leeds Weather Centre. The Met Office training equipped him with professional forecasting skills and operational experience in producing weather forecasts for public dissemination. This combination of university-level geophysical science and practical Met Office training provided Hudson with both the theoretical knowledge and applied expertise that would underpin his long broadcasting career.

Career

Early Career at the Met Office and BBC

Following his training at the Met Office's Leeds Weather Centre, Hudson began his broadcasting career in 1997. He initially combined his Met Office work with a two-year role as a weather presenter for BBC Look North, the BBC's regional news programme for Yorkshire, and for several BBC local radio stations in the region, including those serving Leeds, York, Hull (Humberside), and Sheffield.

This dual role allowed Hudson to develop his on-air presentation skills while maintaining his credentials as a trained meteorologist. The combination of scientific training and broadcasting experience distinguished him from weather presenters who came to the role from a purely journalistic or entertainment background.

BBC Look North

Hudson became a long-serving weather presenter on BBC Look North, appearing on both the Leeds-based edition covering West, South, and North Yorkshire, and the Hull-based edition serving East Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, North West Norfolk, and parts of Nottinghamshire transmitted via the Belmont transmitter.

Over the course of more than two decades on the programme, Hudson established himself as one of the most recognised regional broadcasters in northern England. He became known for his informal and engaging on-screen style, which included humorous exchanges with fellow presenters. His banter with Look North presenter Harry Gration became a notable feature of the Leeds edition of the programme, appreciated by viewers for its spontaneity and warmth. Similarly, Hudson developed a rapport with Peter Levy, who presents the Hull edition of Look North, and their on-air interactions became a familiar element of the programme's broadcast from East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

In addition to his weather presenting duties, Hudson took on the role of environment and climate change correspondent for BBC Yorkshire and BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. In this capacity, he reported on environmental issues affecting the region, including flooding, agricultural impacts of weather variability, and broader climate trends. This editorial role reflected his scientific background and allowed him to provide more in-depth analysis of weather and climate stories than a standard weather forecast segment would permit.

Hudson also maintained a blog on the BBC website, where he discussed weather events, seasonal forecasts, and climate science topics in greater depth than was possible during broadcast segments. The blog provided a platform for extended discussion of meteorological topics and attracted readers from across the United Kingdom interested in weather and climate issues.

Notable Broadcasts and Public Engagement

Throughout his career, Hudson has covered numerous significant weather events in Yorkshire and the wider region. His role has required him to report on severe weather incidents including storms, flooding, heatwaves, and cold spells that have affected communities across northern England. BBC footage from 2015 featured Hudson reporting on weather events in the Leeds area.

Beyond his television and online work, Hudson has engaged with the public through various regional initiatives. In one notable instance, he lent his voice to announcements on the CityZap bus service operating in York, bringing his familiar tones to public transport passengers in the city. Such activities have reinforced his profile as a recognisable public figure in Yorkshire.

Hudson's long tenure on regional television has made him one of the most enduring figures in BBC regional broadcasting in the north of England. His continued presence on Look North across multiple decades places him among the longer-serving weather presenters in BBC regional television history.

Personal Life

Hudson resides in Yorkshire, maintaining close ties to the region where he was born and has spent his career. His wedding to Nicola was reported in the local press, with The Telegraph and Argus covering the event under the headline "Sunshine all the way for Paul and Nicola," a reference to the weather theme that has defined his professional life.

Hudson has maintained a relatively private personal life outside of his broadcasting career, though his strong identification with Yorkshire and its communities is a recurring theme in interviews and public appearances. His feature in The Yorkshire Post on the subject of "My Yorkshire" reflected his deep personal connection to the county and its landscapes, culture, and people.

Recognition

In 2014, Hudson was made an Honorary Fellow of Bradford College, an award that recognised his contributions to broadcasting and his role in public engagement with weather and climate science in the Yorkshire region. The fellowship acknowledged both his professional achievements over nearly two decades of broadcasting and his status as a prominent public figure in West Yorkshire, where Bradford College is situated close to his hometown of Keighley.

Hudson's appointment as honorary "Mayor of Wetwang," while a humorous and unofficial distinction, reflected the affection in which he is held by communities across Yorkshire. Wetwang, a village in the East Riding of Yorkshire, has a tradition of bestowing the honorary title on well-known personalities, and Hudson's selection highlighted his popularity beyond the studio.

His longevity on BBC Look North is itself a form of recognition, as sustained tenure on a regional news programme reflects both audience approval and editorial confidence. Hudson's ability to maintain his position across changing broadcasting landscapes and evolving audience expectations over more than twenty years speaks to his standing within BBC regional broadcasting.

Distinction from Other Individuals Named Paul Hudson

The name Paul Hudson is shared by several notable individuals. Recent news coverage in 2026 reported extensively on the departure of a different Paul Hudson from his role as CEO of Sanofi, the French pharmaceutical company. That Paul Hudson, a British business executive, served as CEO of Sanofi from 2019 until his removal by the company's board in February 2026, when he was replaced by Belén Garijo, the outgoing CEO of Merck KGaA. The Sanofi CEO is a separate individual from the BBC weather presenter who is the subject of this article.

Reports indicated that Sanofi's board decided not to renew the CEO's mandate following what Fierce Pharma described as a "bumpy ride" marked by research and development setbacks at the French pharmaceutical company. The announcement caused Sanofi's share price to decline, and the transition was described by BioSpace as sudden compared to other recent CEO transitions in European pharmaceutical companies.