Legend of Pilar Sanjurjo, Trailblazing Spanish Weather Presenter
Galician meteorologist Pilar Sanjurjo passed away this week, as reported by TVE. She rose to prominence in the 1970s and 1980s, becoming one of the era’s most recognizable weather presenters and a true pioneer on national television. She was the first woman to deliver the weather on Spain’s national airwaves, breaking through longstanding gender barriers and inspiring a generation of viewers and colleagues alike.
Sanjujo belonged to a cohort of forward‑thinking broadcasters at public television, joining the ranks with peers such as Mariano Medina and Eugenio Martín Rubio. Her broadcasts helped audiences grasp atmospheric phenomena with clarity and credibility, a contribution TVE acknowledged broadly. Her work elevated weather coverage beyond simple condition reports, offering a window into how atmospheric science shapes daily life across Spain and its communities.
Her career began with the public institution when Eugenio Martín Rubio invited her to fill the weather slot during his vacation. In doing so, she became the first woman to present the forecast on RTVE. Over time, Sanjurjo transitioned to the National Meteorological Institute (INM), a precursor to the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) established later on. This move reflected a career that bridged television and formal meteorological research and forecasting institutions, linking media to institutional science.
Within the government framework, she served as shift chief at the INM National Forecasting Center, a position she held into the early 2000s before retirement. Her leadership influenced how forecast information was organized and communicated to the public, reinforcing trust in official weather services during a period of rapid modernization in Spain’s meteorological community.
Renowned for marine forecasting expertise, Sanjurjo was also among the early women to participate in expeditions to Antarctica, where she studied the impacts of ozone layer depletion. Her field work and scientific curiosity contributed to a broader understanding of how atmospheric conditions influence global weather patterns and environmental change. Her career stands as a testament to how meteorology can intersect media, research, and international science diplomacy, opening doors for future generations of women in the field.
Throughout her career, Sanjurjo embodied the ethos of translating complex atmospheric science into accessible information for the public. Her pioneering role in presenting the weather on RTVE, together with a solid commitment to meteorological research at INM and later AEMET, left a lasting imprint on Spain’s weather science landscape. Her legacy continues to inspire broadcasters and scientists who aim to explain the science of the atmosphere with accuracy, empathy, and public service in mind.