We asked you to send in any burning questions you have for Michael before he retires in October.

What is your favourite type of weather? (Tom Morgan, Shrewsbury)
Freezing cold with snow and ice - a good blizzard! I don't like hot weather at all!

Do you miss the magnetic clouds and suns that you had to use in the old days? (Paul Voller, Farnham)
Sometimes. I miss the easier life. It was much more simple and fewer things could go wrong. Symbols could fall off but that didn't cause as much of a headache and when the computer crashes!

Where in the world would you say has the most pleasant climate to live in? (James, London)
If you could forecast in any other country in the world - which country would it be and why? (Andrew Purnell)
New Zealand for both! It has a lovely climate, scenery and people!

How difficult is it to point to features and places on a weather map that isn't actually there? (Anne Cooper, Orpington)
Ah, well you can see features very slightly - we have a back projector that puts a faint image on the blue screen.

Are you surprised by what the weather can do even after 40 years of forecasting? (Mark Martin, Wellingborough)
No not really - one of the benefits of older forecasters is their wealth of experience. It's what makes a better and better forecaster.

Thunderstorms... cool or scary? (John-Paul Rhodes, Harrogate)
Cool - I love them! Even though a tree next to my house was struck by lightning this summer and blew up my computer.

Do you still get nervous before going on air? Also, do you follow any weather forums on the internet? (Dan Duncan, Waterlooville)
I don't get nervous that I'm aware of, but in order to do a good broadcast you do need some adrenaline. I'm not sure that I used to get nervous at the start... I don't follow any forums at the moment, but may start in retirement.

Of all the forecasters that you have worked with, who do you most respect and why? (Andy Bown, Westbury)
Jack Armstrong was the first forecaster that I can remember - he may have influenced my decision to go into meteorology. I really respect the chief forecasters at the Met Office - their knowledge and experience is amazing.

What has been your funniest experience while presenting the weather? (Fi Lovett, Plymouth)
Well although it's not funny at the time, it's probably when things go wrong. Such as when random charts might appear in a bulletin or the symbols move when they shouldn't!

What was the most embarrassing moment of your career? (Robert Cottrell, Marlow)
On one occasion I missed a broadcast. The door handle to the office fell off in my hand and I couldn't get in!

What is the most unusual or exciting weather you have experienced in the UK since you have been a forecaster? (Matt Leggett, Colney Heath, St Albans)
Well it would have to be the Great Storm in 1987! Or the Burns Day Storm in 1990.

In all your years of forecasting, what do you think are the most memorable weather events the UK has seen? Except for the Great Storm… (Rikki, Leeds)
The summer of 1976, or even last summer, although I was away and missed the hottest day.

Were you at any time interested in storm chasing?
I have been unable to go yet due to work commitments - I couldn't just book leave and go at a moments notice, but it's something I might do in my retirement.

Do you think that the British generally seem to be the people most interested in the weather? (Jeremy, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
No - if you go to the USA they can seem far more obsessed with the weather! But their weather can be far worse and more damaging than ours.

Your fairy godmother grants you a 'weather wish' - you can wish for any weather and scenario of your dream. What would you choose? (Paul Anderson, Dunfermline)
Walking across Antarctica - I think it's the last unspoilt wilderness.

How does it feel to be the longest serving weatherman and what was the best moment for you? William Innes, Stornoway)
It is an honour. I think my best moment will be collecting my MBE in mid October.

After leaving the BBC, will you still keep meteorology as a hobby? (Rob W, Manchester)
It will always be there as an interest, again storm chasing is something I might pursue.

I am hoping to become a meteorologist when I am older. I am twelve now but I was wondering what age you started work as a meteorologist? (Hannah Wells, Letchworth)
I started straight from school, when I was 18.

If you hadn't studied meteorology, what career would you have taken instead? (Nigel, Reading)
I would have liked to be a pilot in the RAF.

What made you want to become a weather forecaster? (Dawn Bellot, south east London)
I wanted to be a forecaster since I was eight or ten. I really enjoyed geography and science at school. I also loved snow!

How do you become a weather forecaster? I'm 15 and it's been my ambition for about three years. What steps should I take to get there? (Harriet Lawlor-Anderson, Cambridge)
You'll need to do the right A Levels - maths and physics and to go to University to get a good degree - really in maths or physics.

Do you think we will ever be able to predict the weather accurately weeks in advance? (K Howard, Sunderland)
Who knows. Not in the immediate future - the weather is too complex and there isn't a computer powerful enough.

What differences have you seen in the last 30 years in terms of changes in technology both for forecasting? (N Tucker, Newport)
When I joined the Met Office, the first weather satellite and forecast computer were used. They've both 'progressed' with me.

Why is the UK's weather so unpredictable? (Ash Tanja, London)
It's because of where we are - a small island in the North Atlantic. We have highly changeable weather - more so than other parts of the world.

Why is it that when you wake up in the morning often the sky is blue and it looks as if you are in for a wonderful day. Then by around 9.30am the cloud arrives and the day becomes gloomy. Is it just bad luck or it there a reason for it? (Keith Hipkin, Bracknell)

Why is it that the weather always gets better in the early evening in the summer. It can be a warm cloudy day but by 6pm the sun shines! (Matt Silver, Bushey)

There is a reason for it clouding over as the day goes on. Often convection starts - as the sun heats up the ground and the air rises, this leads to the formation of clouds. These then dissolve in the late afternoon as the strength of the sun weakens.

My dad is convinced that we have had snow in June. Is this true? (Hayley Munro, Buckingham)
Yes, we have had snow in June, in Buxton. It's not impossible. Although summer hail can sometimes be mistaken for snow.

Does it not frustrate you that the UK has a climate void of many extremes, whereas other locations in the world have much more exciting weather conditions? (Mark Dickson, Sheerness)
Well sometimes I do forecast for extremes - when I'm on BBC World, so I guess the answer is no.

At what sort of wind speed would the roof tiles on an average house start to be in danger of getting dislodged or being blown off? (Simon Gonsalves, Bristol)
Well I don't think that there's such a thing as an average house really. The tiles have stayed on my roof through 100mph gusts.

As Britain's longest serving weather forecaster, with a view towards global warming, have you noticed a change in the weather you reported 30 years ago compared to that today? (Tony Graham, Glasgow)
Not weather especially, but one thing in particular that I have noticed is that the timings of seasons are not the same as they used to be.

Is Climate Change and Global Warming a real threat to the United Kingdom in your opinion? (John Gearing, St Helens)
I think that it is a very great threat - I always say it is the ultimate weapon of mass destruction. There's nothing we can do about Global Warming. We're locked into a scenario of ever increasing climate change.

Michael, what would you suggest is the best way of cooking cod? (Daljit Bining, Chatham)
Deep fried. Although I try not to eat cod as it's an endangered species.

Do you like Chinese Food? (Mi, Plymouth)
I like all food - I can't get enough of it! Especially if it's washed down with a nice red wine.