After keeping South Florida safe throughout 32 hurricane seasons, WPBF West Palm Beach, Fla., severe weather expert Mike Lyons announced his retirement from the Hearst ABC affiliate. On Dec. 23, Lyons will deliver his final WPBF 25 First Warning Weather forecast ending his 46-year broadcasting career.
The station said: “For more than three decades, Lyons has tracked South Florida’s ever-changing weather and led the area’s only certified most accurate team to the No. 1 position in the market. Even though he is retiring from forecasting, Lyons will continue to be a fixture in the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast as WPBF 25’s new Community Ambassador. In his new role, he will further connect with viewers at local events and during station partnerships.”
“We are deeply grateful to Mike for 32 years of service keeping our community safe regarding impactful and emergency weather coverage. Our viewer’s safety has always been Mike’s number one priority,” said WPBF President/General Manager Caroline Taplett. “Mike has been such a beloved and dominant figure in our area for so long. He will be sorely missed by our audience and the entire WPBF 25 staff. While bittersweet, we are very excited about his next chapter. His commitment and love for this community will continue as he headlines local events that have become so dear to Mike over the years.”
Lyons said: “I have always felt a great sense of responsibility to every viewer to prepare and protect them during severe weather. I’ve been incredibly humbled by the trust placed in me and this team. I haven’t retired sooner because of my love for this job, community, and the people I work alongside daily. Thank you for welcoming me into your home every day for the past 32 years. This will always be such a meaningful and rewarding chapter in my life. I’m looking forward to traveling across this incredible world.”
In his tenure, Lyons has covered every major weather event and land-falling storm in Florida, most notably Hurricanes Andrew, Floyd, Irene, Frances, Jeanne, Wilma, Matthew, Irma, and Ian. He has earned numerous awards for his on-air work, including special recognition from the National Hurricane Conference, Florida Governor’s Hurricane Conference, and Broadcaster of the Year from the National Weather Association.
WPBF News Director Emily Thompson said: “Mike has been the calm before, during, and after every storm. We put up our hurricane shutters when Mike did, and we went to our safe rooms when he told us to. Mike has given so much of his time to not only the community and our viewers but also to his extended WPBF 25 family. We’re looking forward to tracking Mike in all of his new adventures.”
Lyons graduated from Ohio State University and began his career in 1976 at WFRV Green Bay, Wis. Later working for KSNT Topeka, Kan.; KRIV Houston; and WJBK Detroit before arriving in West Palm Beach.
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