Life according to: Weather forecaster, Sean Batty

The popular weather forecaster talks about climate worries, innovative Scots, being garden proud, and good uses for old scaffold boards.

What’s your new series about?

It’s a travel/sustainability show looking at what people are doing to help nature and the environment. There’s lots of great work being done around the country – we meet people with great ideas.

You’ll have noticed the changes in climate more than most?

I’ve always had a vested interest in climate and nature. Hopefully this programme gives people ideas of what they can do to help.

Climate is changing regardless of what we do, but we can at least try to slow it and not make it so bad for future generations. I’m always announcing breaking records for rainfall, temperature, snow and so on.

I go into a new year wondering how many we are going to break, rather than if we will. The climate is warming but it’s also becoming more volatile. The extremes are becoming more extreme.

Did you ever think you would be presenting the weather from your garden, like you did throughout lockdown?

I did it for eight months, including the Christmas and Hogmanay forecasts, and I even did the links for this new series from the garden, too.

It’s odd to see my garden on TV. People stop me now and say they like this or that plant. I had a panic last year, trying to get bedding plants during lockdown, because if it’s on TV it has to look good. So that’s part of my job now – to keep the garden looking good!

You’ve developed a woodwork hobby – how did that start?

I was looking to make weather maps for kids from MDF and plywood, and I went to Glasgow Wood Recycling one day to see what they had – now I’m there nearly every week. I pick up old scaffold boards, floor joints, bits of elm, and repurpose them.

Pretty much everything in the house is made from old scaffold boards now – these are no longer used so there’s millions of them sitting out there looking for a home, and they look great once they’re sanded down.

I made a whisky barrel table for my dad for Father’s Day, a workbench, shelves, a bird feeder, all sorts. I love going to the yard, picking something up, and wondering what I can make with it. I’ll leave with 20 scaffold boards.

Did you always know you wanted to be a meteorologist?

Ever since I was seven, this was my dream. For some people, it’s being footballers or pop stars, but for me it was this. My idols were Ian McCaskill, Michael Fish and Heather Reid, and now I’m in their position.

I was trained initially for the TV by Michael Fish, which was a surreal experience. It happened, and now it’s expanded into programmes like this one, so it’s been great.

Don’t Waste Scotland, Wednesday, 8pm, STV and STV Player