logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2024
9m 12s

The woman whose weather report changed t...

Bbc World Service
About this episode

In 1944, a young Irishwoman called Maureen Flavin drew up a weather report that helped change the course of World War Two.

Maureen was working at a post office in Blacksod on the far west coast of Ireland. Her duties included recording rainfall, wind speeds, temperature and air pressure.

On 3 June, she sent one of her hourly reports to Dublin, unaware that the figures were being passed on to the Allied headquarters in England. It was the first indication of bad weather heading towards the coast of France - and it was a huge blow.

Hundreds of thousands of British, American and Canadian servicemen had already gathered for the most ambitious operation of the war, the assault of the Normandy beaches on 5 June.

But after reading Maureen’s report, chief meteorologist Group Captain James Stagg advised a delay of 24 hours.

US General, Dwight Eisenhower, gave the order, and D-Day was finally launched on 6 June, 1944. A date that went down in history.

Maureen's son Edward Sweeney tells Jane Wilkinson about the family's pride in their mother.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Maureen Sweeney. Credit: Sweeney family photo)

Up next
Apr 2025
The Cu Chi tunnels of the Vietnam War
During the Vietnam War, North Vietnamese VietCong guerrillas built a vast network of tunnels in the south of the country as part of the insurgency against the South Vietnamese government and their American allies. The tunnel network was a key base and shelter for the North Vietna ... Show More
9m 43s
Today
Toy Story: the first digitally-animated feature film
<p>Released in 1995, this buddy movie about a cowboy doll and a toy astronaut was the first to use entirely computer-generated images. </p><p>The story, about a group of toys who come alive when humans are not around, appealed to audiences around the world.</p><p>In 2017, animato ... Show More
10m 47s
Nov 21
How the Bosnian war ended
<p>The Dayton Peace Accords were signed on the 21 November 1995, ending the three-and-a-half-year war in Bosnia. </p><p>The war was part of the break-up of Yugoslavia; it is estimated that 100,000 people were killed. </p><p>In 2010, Lucy Williamson spoke to Milan Milutinović who ... Show More
10m 12s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2019
Broadcasting D-Day
Hear how the BBC reported the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France on June 6th 1944. The operation was a crucial step in the liberation of western Europe. Using original BBC reports from the time - from Chester Wilmot, Richard Dimbleby, Robin Duff, Ward Smith and Alan Melville ... Show More
9m 18s
Jun 2019
D-Day
Eyewitness accounts of the Allied landings on the coast of Normandy during World War Two on 6 June 1944. The massive operation was a crucial step in the liberation of western Europe from years of Nazi rule and the defeat of Hitler's Germany. In this episode, we present the accoun ... Show More
11m 50s
Jun 2024
Desembarco de Normandía: el día que cambió la historia
<p>El 6 de junio de 1944, cientos de miles de soldados aliados <strong>desembarcaron en cinco playas francesas</strong>. Supuso <strong>la mayor operación militar anfibia</strong> nunca vista y se llamó, en clave, <em>operación Overlord</em>. 80 años después del Día D, analizamos ... Show More
15m 45s
Mar 2023
The Mystery of Henry Wilson’s Assassination
<p>On June 22nd 1922, the British Field Marshall, Henry Wilson was shot dead in London. The assassination sparked a major political crisis in Ireland. The British government blamed the killing on a faction of the IRA opposed to the recent Anglo-Irish Treaty. When they demanded ac ... Show More
28m 27s
Jul 2023
England's First Female Sheriff: Nicholaa de la Haye
<p>Nicholaa de la Haye’s strength and tenacity saved England at one of the lowest points in its history.</p><br><p>She remained loyal to King John to the very end, even after most of his knights and barons had deserted him.&nbsp;She stood firm during a siege at Lincoln Castle - w ... Show More
34m 21s
Jun 2024
Remembering D-Day 80 Years Later
On June 6th 1944, the allied forces landed on the Omaha Beach in Normandy, breaking through the Nazi’s Atlantic wall. At huge cost they turned the tide of World War II and began the liberation of Europe: a moment of time forever immortalised as D-Day. US President Joe Biden and F ... Show More
59m 15s
May 2023
World War II victory in North Africa
Peter Royle, 103, endured a month of solid fighting in the hills outside of Tunis in 1943. Eventually the Allies prevailed and took more than 250,000 German and Italian prisoners of war. They declared victory in Tunisia on 13 May. Peter came close to dying many times. He recalls ... Show More
11m 32s
Jun 2024
D-Day: An Imperfect Storm
A storm brewing in the Atlantic threatens to scupper the D-Day invasion plans. On the west coast of Ireland, at a remote post office, a woman transmits a crucial report. The Allied Supreme Commander is faced with the toughest decision of his career. And the fate of the world rest ... Show More
29m 28s
Jun 2024
'My father was on Sword Beach': Professor Michael Clarke on the difference D-Day made
Today marks the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings which were a turning point in the Second World War and ultimately led to the Allied victory over Nazi Germany.  <br /><br />On this episode, Niall Paterson sits down with historian and security analyst Professor Michael Clark ... Show More
24m 36s