A FORMER university student with a passion for meteorology has found himself in Iraq as the RAF’s weather forecaster.

When Adam Thornhill was at university reading maths and meteorology he never imagined that soon after graduating he would be sat in an air traffic control tower in southern Iraq.

The former Rednock School pupil is currently deployed on operations in Basra as part of a contingent of UK troops helping to hand back control to the Iraqi administration, ending 19 years of RAF commitment in the region.

The first batch of British soldiers left Iraq earlier this month and the rest of the nearly 4,000 soldiers who are in the country will soon follow. It marks the end of six years of British forces in the country and control will be handed to US troops before it is finally handed back to the Iraqis.

Adam, who formerly lived in Dursley and studied at Reading University, said he was missing his girlfriend but had really enjoyed his time working in Iraq.

"Things are very busy here, with a great deal of liaison work going on to hand over authority and control to the Iraqi administration," said Adam.

"This has been an extremely satisfying period in which to witness the work of UK troops in readiness for handing over to the Iraqi authorities."

Adam, 27, is attached to the Mobile Meteorology Unit usually based at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, but his work can take him all over the world at a moment's notice.

His current task is to ensure Iraqi forecasters are fully trained for their civilian role at Basra International Airport.

Before he joined the RAF Adam used his skills in meteorology to work for the British Antarctic Survey in Antartica from 2002-2006 as a met observer.