Charting the course to a successful career in meteorology
Lee Anne Alcantara's journey into meteorology began with a school science project. Now she works at MetService's National Forecast Centre, where she creates marine forecasts that help keep people safe across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Growing up on a farm, Lee Anne was always aware of, and fascinated by, the unpredictable nature of weather. Her first foray into meteorology was early in her schooling—a science project in intermediate school. While she didn’t fully understand what meteorology involved, she knew she found it fascinating. “When I started thinking about career options that science project stood out to me, because I remember having so much fun with it,” she says.
In her undergraduate studies she majored in physics, a subject she was drawn to because it felt practical and tangible. “It made sense to me. It was less about memorising and more about understanding how things work,” she says.
While she’d had a long held academic interest in meteorology, she didn’t develop a true appreciation for its impact until she had finished her undergraduate studies and was working as an astronomy guide at Mt John Observatory. Working outdoors, constantly aware of wind speeds, cloud formations, and potential road conditions, Lee Anne began to appreciate the critical importance of weather forecasting. “It was only then that I realised how important weather forecasting is for safety, and that made me really want to get into the field,” she says.
Now, after completing the Master of Meteorology programme—co-taught by Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington and MetService—Lee Anne works in MetService’s National Forecast Centre, specialising in marine meteorology. Her work ranges from issuing high seas warnings about severe gales to creating coastal and recreational forecasts that help keep mariners safe across Aotearoa New Zealand.
While she’s currently part of the marine forecasting team, Lee Anne is eager to gain experience across different meteorological domains, including aviation and public forecasting. There are many different pathways open to senior forecasters, with some of her colleagues working as consultants in industries from hydropower to space exploration.
For Lee Anne, meteorology is about much more than scientific data. “It's really about helping people,” she says. Her experiences—from growing up on a farm to working in tourism—have reinforced her belief that understanding the broader impact of her work is key.
To aspiring meteorologists, her advice is simple: “Operational meteorology is about safety and keeping people safe. Now working for MetService I can see how important it is to be passionate about that side of things—helping people—rather than purely science. So, you do need to think about why you're passionate about a field, and recognise the real-world impact of your work.”