Diabolo
Never request a HDG change for circumnavigation purpose. Just fly that HDG and inform ATC.
So, you'd rather avoid a bumpy cloud or lightning strike than another aircraft? What an idiotic and unprofessional attitude to flight safety.
ATC will always approve a turn to avoid weather if traffic permits. If not, we can suggest alternatives. Unfortunately the only alternative that could be offered to Max in this instance was to continue straight ahead.
The problem in this type of situation is that weather avoidance can kick off when you already have several aircraft in the sector, leaving the ATCO horribly exposed. Sometimes there are already flow rates in place, but bunching from several TMA airfields can cause a real problem, particularly in a very narrow and short sector like Sector 15/16 (DOVER).
For example 1 departure each from EGKK, LL, SS and GW. A high level aircraft needing to descend into Brussels. Slow climbing Paris - Oceanic Deps. EGLC inblound via Sandy and TMA/EGBB traffic all avoiding Wx. That's 7 aircraft in DOVER sector and some infringing from sector 17 (LYDD).
The TMA departure traffic may be complying with CTOTs but all end up at DET at the same time wanting to go the same way around Wx cells - into the face of TMA arrivals.
Providing 1000ft or 5 miles separation becomes very difficult. As
Widger says, If you have to turn without approval, Squawk 7700 and accept the responsibility for your own separation. In this way, the ATCO can accept 500ft emergency separation and keep his/her licence intact.
As for the Southend situation. Wx clutter on their display probably necessitated them vectoring aircraft around it to avoid the radar return disappearing into the mess. In an enroute environment, very little would move if we had to do that. Even if aircraft were above or below the weather, we would have to vector them around it to keep ident. The clean radar displays that exist in modern ACCs are much better for safety and traffic movements than a cluttered mess. The best Wx radar we have is pilots eyes and the stream of aircraft radar returns outlining the Wx on the display.
Good Luck Folks
VL