Weather forecaster Jean Byrne has won a European award for broadcasting, Met Éireann has confirmed.

Ms Byrne, from Tarbert in Co Kerry, was awarded the European Meteorological Society's TV Weather Forecast Award for 2011 by an international jury made up of her peers.



She will be presented with the award at the European Meteorological Society's Media awards in Berlin on Friday. An employee of Met Éireann since 1989, Ms Byrne is a regular broadcaster on RTE weather reports.



The ceremony represents the first time an Irish weather broadcaster has won the award which was based on "good science and good presentation" according to Met Éireann senior forecaster Gerard Fleming.



"I'm delighted and honoured to receive this prestigious award, coming as it does from a group of my professional colleagues," said Ms Byrne. "It recognises the importance of the work that meteorologists do and how we try to give our best service to viewers and listeners."