Paul Hudson

Paul Hudson
Born	Paul David Hudson 27 02, 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)

Paul David Hudson (born 27 February 1971) is an English weather presenter and environment correspondent who has served as one of the most recognisable faces of regional broadcasting in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire for more than two decades. Born and raised in Keighley, West Yorkshire, Hudson studied geophysics and planetary physics at Newcastle University before training with the Met Office at Leeds Weather Centre. He has been a fixture of BBC Look North, providing weather forecasts and climate change coverage for both the Leeds and Hull editions of the programme. Hudson was made an Honorary Fellow of Bradford College in 2014 in recognition of his contributions to broadcasting and public engagement with meteorology. He is also known for his distinctive on-air rapport with fellow BBC presenters, including Harry Gration and Peter Levy. Hudson should not be confused with the pharmaceutical executive of the same name who served as CEO of Sanofi until 2026.

Early Life

Paul David Hudson was born on 27 February 1971 in Keighley, a town in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. He grew up in the area, developing an early interest in weather and the natural environment. In an interview with the Yorkshire Post, Hudson described his long-standing fascination with meteorology, stating that he had known from a young age that he wanted to be a weather forecaster.

Hudson's upbringing in West Yorkshire, a region characterised by varied topography and frequently changeable weather conditions, appears to have informed his later career. Keighley sits at the edge of the Yorkshire Dales and the South Pennines, an area where Atlantic weather systems often produce dramatic variations in conditions over short distances. Hudson has spoken publicly about his attachment to Yorkshire, and in a separate Yorkshire Post feature on notable figures from the region, he discussed the influence the local landscape had on his life and career.

His connection to the region has remained a consistent theme throughout his public life. Hudson has been involved in various community and public engagement activities in Yorkshire, including lending his voice to the CityZap bus service operating in York. He has also held the honorary title of "Mayor of Wetwang," a light-hearted ceremonial role in the small East Riding of Yorkshire village, reflecting his popularity and community ties in the region.

Education

Hudson attended Newcastle University, where he studied geophysics and planetary physics. The degree programme provided a scientific foundation in atmospheric science, earth science, and related disciplines. Following his university studies, Hudson joined the Met Office, the United Kingdom's national weather service, where he underwent a two-year training programme at Leeds Weather Centre. This training equipped him with the professional meteorological qualifications necessary for weather forecasting and broadcasting.

The combination of a university education in geophysics with practical Met Office training gave Hudson a dual grounding in both the theoretical and applied aspects of meteorology. This background has informed his subsequent career not only as a weather presenter but also as a climate change correspondent, a role that requires the ability to interpret and communicate complex scientific data to a general audience.

Career

Early Career at the Met Office and BBC

After completing his training at Leeds Weather Centre, Hudson began his broadcasting career with the BBC in the late 1990s. He initially combined his Met Office work with television presenting, serving as a weather forecaster for BBC Look North, the regional news programme for Yorkshire. During this early period, he also provided weather forecasts for several BBC local radio stations, including those serving Leeds, York, Humberside, and Sheffield.

This arrangement, in which Hudson worked simultaneously for the Met Office and the BBC, allowed him to develop his on-screen presentation skills while maintaining his professional meteorological credentials. The dual role was consistent with the BBC's longstanding practice of using Met Office-trained forecasters for its weather broadcasts, a tradition that has since changed with the corporation's shift to other weather providers.

BBC Look North

Hudson became a regular weather presenter on BBC Look North, appearing on both the Leeds edition (serving West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, and North Yorkshire) and the Hull edition (serving East Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, North West Norfolk, and parts of Nottinghamshire via the Belmont transmitter). Over more than two decades, he established himself as one of the programme's most enduring on-screen figures.

A significant aspect of Hudson's on-air persona has been his rapport with the programme's main news presenters. He became known for tongue-in-cheek exchanges with Harry Gration, the long-serving presenter of the Leeds edition of Look North, and with Peter Levy, who presents the Hull edition. These interactions, characterised by humorous banter between the weather segment and the main news desk, became a distinctive feature of the broadcasts and contributed to Hudson's popularity among viewers in the region.

In a 2017 interview with the Yorkshire Post, Hudson reflected on two decades in broadcasting, noting his continued enthusiasm for weather forecasting. He stated, "I just knew I wanted to be a weather forecaster – I love it even after 20 years." The interview highlighted the longevity of his career and his sustained presence on regional television during a period of significant changes in the broadcasting industry.

Hudson has also maintained an online presence through his BBC blog, where he has written about weather events, climate trends, and meteorological phenomena affecting Yorkshire and the wider United Kingdom. The blog served as an additional platform for Hudson to engage with the public on weather-related topics and to provide more detailed analysis than is typically possible within a short television weather segment.

Climate Change Correspondent

In addition to his weather presenting duties, Hudson has served as an environment and climate change correspondent for BBC Yorkshire and BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. In this capacity, he has reported on topics including extreme weather events, flooding, drought conditions, and the broader implications of climate change for the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire region.

The role of climate change correspondent has required Hudson to draw on his scientific training in geophysics and planetary physics, as well as his practical experience in meteorology. His reporting has covered the intersection of climate science and local impacts, including the effects of changing weather patterns on agriculture, infrastructure, and communities in northern England.

Hudson's work in this area has included coverage of major weather events that have affected the region, including episodes of severe flooding that have periodically impacted communities in Yorkshire. His reporting on a severe weather event in the Leeds area was featured in BBC News coverage.

Community Engagement and Public Activities

Beyond his broadcasting work, Hudson has participated in a range of public and community activities in Yorkshire. He lent his voice to the CityZap bus service in York, providing announcements for passengers on the route. This involvement reflected his status as a well-known public figure in the region and his willingness to participate in local initiatives.

Hudson has also held the honorary and humorous title of "Mayor of Wetwang," a ceremonial position in the village of Wetwang in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The role, which is light-hearted in nature, underscored his connection to rural communities in the region and his popularity beyond the urban centres served by BBC Look North.

His community profile was further recognised when he was named an Honorary Fellow of Bradford College in 2014. The honour acknowledged his contributions to broadcasting and his role in promoting public understanding of weather and climate in the region.

Personal Life

Hudson was born and raised in Keighley, West Yorkshire, and has maintained strong ties to the region throughout his career. Coverage in the Telegraph & Argus noted a personal milestone for Hudson and his partner Nicola.

Hudson has spoken in interviews about his deep connection to Yorkshire, discussing the landscape and communities of the region in personal terms. His long tenure at BBC Look North, covering both the Leeds and Hull broadcast areas, has kept him based in the region for the entirety of his professional career.

Recognition

Hudson's contributions to broadcasting and public engagement with meteorology have received formal recognition. In 2014, he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by Bradford College, one of the largest further education institutions in the north of England. The fellowship was conferred in recognition of his work as a weather presenter and climate change correspondent, and his role in promoting understanding of weather science among the public.

His selection as the honorary "Mayor of Wetwang" represents a more informal but nonetheless notable form of public recognition, reflecting his standing among communities in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

Hudson's longevity as a weather presenter on BBC Look North, spanning from the late 1990s to the present day, has made him one of the longest-serving weather presenters in BBC regional broadcasting. His ability to combine scientific expertise with accessible communication has been a hallmark of his career, and his on-air chemistry with presenters such as Harry Gration and Peter Levy has contributed to the popularity of the programme among viewers in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

Namesake Confusion

Paul Hudson, the BBC weather presenter, shares his name with a pharmaceutical executive who served as chief executive officer of Sanofi, the French multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company. The Sanofi executive was removed from the CEO position in February 2026, with the company's board announcing that he would be replaced by Belén Garijo, the outgoing CEO of Merck KGaA. Sanofi's board thanked Hudson for his "valuable contributions" but declined to renew his mandate as CEO. The announcement led to a decline in Sanofi's share price, with reports describing the departure as a surprise to investors. The two individuals are not related and operate in entirely different professional fields.