Moment BBC weatherman is battered by 70mph winds live on air during Storm Ingunn

31 January 2024 , 18:40

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Moment BBC weatherman is battered by 70mph winds live on air during Storm Ingunn

A BBC reporter was battered by torrential rain and pounding gale force winds while on camera this morning.

Lewis Vaughan, a TV journalist for BBC Breakfast, was reporting live on the Up Helly Aa Viking festival, which is currently happening in Lerwick, Shetland. At around 9.20am, he was talking to presenters Jon Kay and Sally Nugent through video link as bad weather swirled around him.

Broadcaster Scott Bryan joked, "Someone get Lewis on @BBCBreakfast a warm up of tea STAT", in a Twitter post. During the show, Jon added: "Oh dear, Lewis. It's a good job it wasn't this morning otherwise the fire would have been blown out." He was referring to the ceremonial fire that was alight at the festival last night.

Lewis responded: "That's absolutely right... it is a bit blustery here. And it was a significant year, this year. The first time that women were taking part in the heart of the event dressed as Vikings in the Jarl Squad throwing those torches and burning that galley in the middle of the burning site that you saw there."

BBC Breakfast TV Journalist Lewis Vaughan was live on this morning's show in the pounding gale (BBC)

As the show continued, it became evident that Lewis was unable to hear the comments made by Jon in the studio. Concluding the segment, Jon said: "Poor Lewis, poor Lewis." People took to Twitter to comment on Lewis' ordeal. A user by the name of Carrie said: "Poor Lewis doesn't get paid enough." Andrew Anderson added: "Looks like a pretty good day of weather to me." Journalist Caitlin Moran chimed in: " 'There's lateral rain in my eyes'. This is what I pay my licence fee for."

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However, while many expressed their sympathy, one commenter said that Lewis was standing in the pounding gales for "no discernible reason". The Up Helly Aa event in Shetland started in the 19th Century, but only this year allowed women and girls to join in its torchlight procession - which involves more than 1,000 toches being lit in the morning and the evening of the last Tuesday in January. Attendees at the event - which celebrates Shetland's Norse heritage - wear Viking-style clothing.

Ryan Fahey