Thanks chaps - good advice as always. I've started playing "spot that cloud" and trying to make my own forcasts from TAF/METAR's and the surface charts. I'm rubbish at it - I'm never going to moan about John Kettley again <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> - but it's helping me a lot. I think the problem wasn't so much a lack of understanding as an inability to apply the contents of the book to the real world.
Irv Lee e-mailed me a pointer to his Weatherwatch articles from Flyer, available on his <a href="http://www.higherplane.flyer.co.uk" target="_blank">. .website</a>. Highly recommended if, like me, you haven't seen them before.
Finally, one further question. I've been reading METAR's at the <a href="http://www.met-office.gov.uk/aviation/" target="_blank">Met Office</a> website, and have noticed that some entries contain a code I don't recognise (and Thom doesn't explain):
[quote]. .BOSCOMBE DOWN EGDM 15/0750 150750Z 35007KT CAVOK M02/M03 Q1034
BLU NOSIG= . .<snip>. .BRIZE NORTON EGVN 15/0750 150750Z 33005KT CAVOK M00/M02 Q1034
BLU NOSIG= . .<hr></blockquote>
This only seems to appear at military airfields (I think) - e.g. Culdrose & Yeovilton have them too, but Heathrow and Gatwick don't. Yesterday one of them had
WHT, so it sounds like it may be some sort of colour code? Maybe? However, I can't find any reference to what they mean? Any ideas?