Ingrid Holford (1920–2012) was an English meteorologist and author. After graduating from University College London with a degree in economics, she was trained as a weather forecaster for the Women's Auxiliary Air Force during World War II. She was a fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society and published articles and books on weather.

Early life, education and war

Ingrid Bianchi was born on 10 January 1920. She attended Cheltenham Ladies' College and earned her first class honours B.S. in economics from University College London in 1941. She worked briefly as a statistician for the Central Statistical Office in London. In 1942, Holford answered an advertisement for science graduates to train in weather forecasting for the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) during World War II. She had a direct entry commission and trained in theory at the Air Ministry for three months and at airfields before the Royal Air Force confirmed her as a forecaster. She worked as an officer-weather forecaster for WAAF until 1946, lecturing and briefing aircrews. Following the war, she worked in London for Outdoor Publicity, the London Press Exchange's department of outdoor advertising from 1946 to 1948.

Career

Holford was a fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society for nearly five decades and was a council member of the society for three years. Holford worked as a freelance journalist and writer, writing articles about the weather for various publications, including ''

Amateur Gardening ''Amateur Gardening'' is a British weekly magazine dedicated to gardening. It includes news, advice, feature articles, and celebrity columns and interviews. History and the early years ''Amateur Gardening'' was founded in London in May 1884 by S ...

'', '' Yachting Monthly'', and '' Practical Boat Owner''. In the 1970s, she started writing weather-related books, beginning with ''Interpreting the Weather'' in 1973. She also wrote the books ''British Weather Disasters'' and ''The Guinness Book of Weather Facts and Feats'' as well as weather guides for yachtsmen and pilots. She gave talks on BBC Radio and worked for

Southern Television Southern Television was the ITV broadcasting licence holder for the South and South-East of England from 30 August 1958 to 31 December 1981. The company was launched as 'Southern Television Limited' and the title 'Southern Television' was con ...

as a standby forecaster from 1978 to 1981. After moving to New Forest in 1978, she gave seminars for yachting instructors and self-published the booklet ''Looking at Weather'' in 1985. In 1991, she published an article in the Royal Meteorological Society's journal ''Weather'' describing her early career.

Personal life

Holford married yachtsman Garth Holford in 1948. They had two children and moved to Brockenhurst in 1978. They moved to Thames Ditton in 2002 before Garth's death in 2004. Holford herself died in 2012.

Publications

*''Interpreting the Weather'' (1973) *''British Weather Disasters'' (1976) *''The Guinness Book of Weather Facts and Feats'' (1977) *''The Yachtsman's Weather Guide'' (1979) *''The Air Pilot's Weather Guide'' (1988)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Holford, Ingrid 1920 births 2012 deaths English meteorologists Royal Meteorological Society Women's Auxiliary Air Force officers 20th-century English non-fiction writers 20th-century English women writers 20th-century British women scientists Women meteorologists