A METAR is a statement as to what the weather actually WAS at a given time. Therefore, by definition, if you go flying 30 seconds later you are talking history.
Now a TAF is what is likely to happen including the conditionals like PROB30/TEMPO/BCMG etc etc.
Now I fly for a living and I also fly for fun. At work there is seldom if ever going to be a time when I am NOT going to depart. Therefore, if I am flying from Los Angeles to London I am not very interested in the METAR but I am VERY interested in the TAF in something like 10 hours time. I cannot wait until the METAR equals the TAF otherwise I would never depart.
In the case in point, I suspect that our man had planned to get airborne so that he did whatever he wanted to do and then arrived during the early part of the 7000 NSW bit.
Now if you are just flying for fun and you don't have a schedule to meet then you can afford yourself the luxury of waiting until the skies are clear. On the other hand, you might never get off the ground!