Julian Hunt, the former director general of the Met Office and a pioneering meteorologist whose research on turbulence transformed the design of tall buildings and influenced climate science, has died aged 84. His work, which began after the collapse of three cooling towers at Ferrybridge power station in 1965, led to theories now essential for constructing skyscrapers and understanding atmospheric dynamics.
Early Life and Education
Born in Ootacamund, India, on 5 September 1941, Hunt was the son of Pauline and Roland Hunt, a British diplomat. He attended the Dragon School in Oxford and Westminster School in London. In 1954, he was hospitalised with a spinal tumour, an experience that deepened his left-wing political views. He studied mechanical sciences at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he later became a fellow, and began postgraduate research on magnetic fields and flowing metals.
Career and Scientific Contributions
After a Fulbright scholarship at Cornell University, where he engaged in anti-Vietnam and civil rights activism, Hunt returned to the UK in 1968. He worked at the Central Electricity Research Laboratories before becoming a lecturer at Cambridge in 1970. His investigation into the Ferrybridge collapse revealed flaws in wind force distribution, leading to turbulence theories now used in designing tall structures. He became director general of the Met Office in 1992, serving until 1997, and later professor of climate modelling at University College London in 1999.
Key Achievements
- Developed turbulence theories critical for skyscraper and tower design.
- Led the Met Office through a period of modernisation.
- Provided expert evidence in the Sion Jenkins murder appeal, contributing to his acquittal in 2005.
- Created a life peer in 2000, serving on House of Lords committees on climate change.
Personal Life and Legacy
Hunt married Marylla Shephard in 1965; she survives him along with their three children. He retired from UCL in 2008 and from the Lords in 2021. Colleagues remember him as a pioneer who linked fluid mechanics to societal needs. He died on 20 April 2026.
