Ms Oxberry started out on Radio 1, working with DJs Simon Mayo and Steve Wright. She retrained as a meteorologist and had been a weather presenter on BBC North West Tonight in Manchester for the past 24 years. Yesterday, her cameraman husband Ian Hindle revealed the Sunderland-born mother-of-two had died at Manchester’s Christie Hospital on Thursday.
She had only been diagnosed with cancer a few weeks earlier.
Mr Hindle said: “Dianne was an amazing wife and mother who embraced life to the full.
“The children and I will miss her more than anyone can imagine.
“She was an inspiration to all who knew and loved her – but also to the people who welcomed her into their homes each night.”
Fellow weather presenter Simon King choked back tears on BBC Radio 5 Live to say: “It has been such a quick process. It has hit us like a ton of bricks.”
Celebrities and colleagues paid tribute on Twitter.
Simon Mayo tweeted: “Devastated to hear this news.
“She was a wonderful, joyous part of our breakfast team at Radio 1. I loved working with her.”
Professor Brian Cox described her as “a superb broadcaster”.
Manchester poet Lemn Sissay tweeted a poem about Ms Oxberry: “She saw and named storms, With calm and hazel eyes, I shalln’t think her as ‘passed away’, I’ll think of her as sun rise.”
BBC North West Tonight presenter Roger Johnson said: “We are heartbroken. It’s hard to imagine the programme without her.”
Colleague Annabel Tiffin, added: “Off screen she was a loyal friend.”
Ms Oxberry was famously adored by comedian Peter Kay, who once crawled up to her on hands and knees live on TV and said: “God love Dianne Oxberry. You made it sunshine for everyone.”
Back in her Radio 1 days Paul McCartney once dropped into the studio to chat to her and Steve Wright in 1990, after she had said the ex-Beatle was the celebrity people would most like to meet.
Helen Thomas, director of BBC England, said Ms Oxberry had a “remarkable career”.
She added: “She was a brilliant weather presenter and could do serious journalism and the lighter end of broadcasting brilliantly whenever it was needed.”