Deakin attended South Hunsley Secondary School on East Dale Road in Melton and went on to achieve a master"s degree from the in Physics with Astrophysics. After university, Deakin joined the British Meteorological (Met) Office, for which he initially worked in a number of places, including York and Bristol. In 2000, he joined the team of Met Office staffers who provide weather forecasts for the British Broadcasting Corporation.
Deakin appears regularly on British Broadcasting Corporation services and is one of the main weather presenters on the British Broadcasting Corporation News at Ten. In addition, he joined the Weather team on British Broadcasting Corporation Breakfast in January 2007 and appears regularly at the weekends and as cover during the week. On 23 August 2003, he appeared on the British Broadcasting Corporation/Open University"s television programme Star Party, which was broadcast live from Jodrell Bank Observatory.
In a number of segments during the show he gave reports on the type of weather that is experienced on Mars.
In 2004, Deakin became patron of Pitsford Hall weather station in Northamptonshire. In January 2012, Deakin appeared on The Great Sport Relief Bake Office.
Deakin has appeared quite regularly on Countryfile when the programme has its weekly weather forecast, to read the weather forecast for the oncoming week. He has also read the news on British Broadcasting Corporation News.
Deakin is a keen recycler and in 2006 helped promote the recycling scheme of the Yorkshire town of Hessle.
He also appeared on Celebrity Mastermind, first aired on 7 January 2010, the coldest day of the winter of 2009-2010.
